There is palpable relief in the Bayagan community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, following the dramatic escape of its district head, Alhaji Kamilu Salami (the Ojibara of Bayagan), alongside six other victims, after local vigilantes launched a fierce, coordinated assault on the bandits’ hideout.
The monarch and his entourage, who were kidnapped on Saturday while working on his farm, regained their freedom late Sunday evening. The successful escape followed intense pressure from the community vigilante group that courageously tracked and engaged the abductors in a gun battle deep inside the forest.
The abduction had thrown Bayagan into distress, particularly after the kidnappers established contact with the community early Sunday, demanding a staggering N150 million ransom for the monarch’s release. During the call, the Ojibara of Bayagan was permitted to speak, emotionally pleading with his community to negotiate his safe return and recounting how he was transported on a motorcycle for over five hours through dense forest to the kidnappers’ camp in the Eku Idaji area, near Igbaja.
Reliable community sources confirmed that instead of waiting for prolonged negotiations, the local vigilante team took decisive action. They mobilized, launched a coordinated offensive, and engaged the bandits in a heavy gun duel. The pressure exerted by the vigilantes was reportedly overwhelming, forcing the kidnappers to abandon their captives and flee deeper into the bush.
“The vigilante team launched an attack on the bandits in the forest and engaged them in a fierce battle… The pressure forced the kidnappers to abandon the Baale and the six others,” a community source confirmed.
While the monarch and the six escapees have not yet physically returned to Bayagan, they have made contact with community members, confirming their escape and assuring them of their safety as security operatives and vigilante groups continue to comb the forest.
