The monarch, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile, was kidnapped on November 29, 2025 by armed men who have continued to keep him in captivity while demanding what the family describes as an “unbearable ransom.”

The family of the kidnapped monarch of Bayagan-Ile, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, has accused the Kwara State Government and the Nigeria Police Force of silence and failing to take any concrete action to secure his release, more than a week after he was abducted.

The monarch, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile, was kidnapped on November 29, 2025 by armed men who have continued to keep him in captivity while demanding what the family describes as an “unbearable ransom.”..TAP TO CONTINUE FULL READING.

Speaking with SaharaReporters on Monday, Alhaji Rafiu Ayinla Lawal, a senior member of the royal family, said the family has been left to struggle alone, selling properties and exhausting personal resources, in a desperate attempt to raise the ransom demanded by the abductors.

According to him, no government official, agency, or security formation has reached out to the family since the monarch was taken.

“He has been communicating with us from captivity,” Lawal said. “He keeps pleading with us to find the ransom so he can regain his freedom. He even called us yesterday. Sometimes they allow him talk every two or three days.

“But the painful part is that the government is not making any effort. That is why we are calling on them and on Nigerians to help us. We have not seen any action from the Kwara State Government or the Nigeria Police. It is only the family trying everything possible.”

Lawal told SaharaReporters that the kidnappers allowed the monarch to speak to the family again on Sunday, during which he reportedly begged them to hasten efforts at raising the money.

“They called us and handed the phone to Kabiyesi. He begged us to please try and complete the money because where he is, things are terrible for him. The Kwara State Government has never called the family, not even once, to ask how we are coping or to make any attempt to get him out,” he said.

He added that the ransom being demanded was far beyond what the family or the small rural community could afford, forcing members to sell farmlands, personal belongings, and household valuables.

“We cannot sit down doing nothing. We have been running around trying to raise money, selling our properties. But this burden is too heavy, and we cannot shoulder it alone. That is why we are calling on Nigerians to come to our rescue since the government and police have abandoned us,” he lamented.

The family is now making a public appeal to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Kwara State Government, and federal security agencies to urgently intervene before the situation deteriorates further.

“We appeal to the Kwara State Government to come to our aid,” Lawal added. “We cannot carry this alone. Our monarch has been in captivity since 29 November. We need help.”

SaharaReporters previously reported that terrorists had reportedly abducted a traditional ruler, Oba Bayagan, in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, triggering fresh concerns over the worsening insecurity plaguing communities across the state.

SaharaReporters learnt that the monarch was kidnapped on Saturday, although details surrounding the incident remain sketchy as of the time of filing this report.

Residents said the attack happened suddenly, leaving the community in fear and confusion.

Kwara State has battled a disturbing rise in violent crimes in recent years, with rural communities increasingly targeted by armed groups.