Kidnappers who abducted a traditional ruler, his son, and several residents of Ifelodun Local Government Area in Kwara State have demanded a combined ransom of N450 million for their release.
The abductors are demanding N150 million for the release of the Oniwo of Aafin, Oba Simeon Olaonipekun, and his son, Olaolu, who is currently serving under the National Youth Service Corps. An additional N300 million ransom has been demanded for the release of eight other residents abducted from Adanla-Irese, a community near Igbaja.
A family source close to the monarch confirmed that the kidnappers contacted the family earlier on Friday to communicate their demands.
“The kidnappers contacted the family this afternoon and told us to bring N150 million to secure the release of Kabiesi and his son,” the source said.
The source disclosed that the family has remained distressed since the abduction, which took place on New Year’s Eve.
“Since this incident happened, we have not been ourselves. We entered the new year with sorrow and tears. We are calling on the government and security agencies to come to our aid because we don’t know what to do,” he said.
The Coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Community Security Watch Network, Elder Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, also confirmed the ransom demands, stating that the abductors had made contact with the families of the victims.
“Yes, it is true. The bandits contacted the family this afternoon and demanded N150 million for the release of Kabiesi and his son. Only two days ago, N300 million was demanded for the release of the Adanla abductees,” he said.
The abduction of the monarch occurred on December 31, 2025, when armed men reportedly invaded Aafin community in the Ile-Ire district of Ifelodun LGA at about 8 pm. Witnesses said the attackers stormed the palace, firing gunshots and demanding to see the monarch and his wife.
“When they noticed we were locking doors and switching off lights, they started shooting. They broke the door with their guns and forced their way in,” a family source said.
During the attack, the monarch’s wife, Felicia Olaonipekun, was shot in the arm and later taken to hospital for medical treatment. The attackers subsequently abducted the monarch and his son after overpowering the local vigilante group.
“Only two vigilante members were on duty, and they could not match the firepower of the attackers,” the source added.
Similarly, on December 26, 2025, suspected bandits were reported to have attacked Adanla community, abducting eight residents after storming the area in large numbers and firing sporadically while moving from house to house.
The twin abductions have raised concerns over the deteriorating security situation in parts of Kwara State, particularly in Ifelodun, Isin, Edu, and other areas in Kwara South that have experienced an increase in kidnapping incidents in recent months.
In November 2025, another traditional ruler, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, was abducted from his farm in the same local government area and reportedly regained his freedom weeks later after the payment of a ransom.
Attempts to obtain official reactions from the Kwara State Police Command regarding the ransom demands were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. However, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the command was not aware of any ransom request.
“We are not aware of any requests for ransom to free abducted persons in the state. The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has repeatedly stated that the payment of ransom encourages and emboldens criminal elements to intensify their nefarious activities.
“The police and other security agencies are working round the clock to rescue abducted persons and rid the state of criminal elements,” she said.
Residents of the affected communities have continued to appeal to the authorities to urgently reinforce security measures and ensure the safe release of all abducted persons.
