The kidnapped district head of Bayagan in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan, regained his freedom after local vigilantes launched a bold midnight offensive on the kidnappers’ hideout, forcing them to abandon their captives.
The traditional ruler, abducted on Saturday morning while tending to his riverside farm, escaped alongside six other victims as the sustained raid by the vigilantes overwhelmed the kidnappers deep inside the forest.
Community sources said the vigilante team tracked the abductors to the Eku Idaji axis near Igbaja, where they initiated a surprise attack around midnight. A fierce gun battle reportedly erupted, and the intense pressure compelled the bandits to flee, creating a window for the captives to run to safety.
Although Alhaji Salami and the other escapees have not yet returned physically to Bayagan, they have contacted community leaders to confirm their safety and recount the tense moments surrounding their escape.
His abduction earlier in the day had thrown the community into distress. The Ojibara was taken around 9:30 a.m. after farmers found his motorcycle abandoned on the farm, prompting an alarm that mobilised local security volunteers.
A farmer from a neighbouring village, who observed the incident while hiding in a guinea corn farm, narrated that the kidnappers forced the district head onto a motorcycle before speeding into the forest.
Meanwhile, security operatives and vigilante groups continue combing the dense forest in pursuit of the fleeing kidnappers, as residents eagerly await the safe return of their traditional ruler to Bayagan.
