Kwara Monarch escapes as vigilantes battle bandits in forest

The abducted monarch of Bayagan community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan, has reportedly escaped from his captors following a fierce confrontation between local vigilantes and armed bandits.

Vanguard gathered from reliable community sources that the daring escape took place on Sunday evening after a coordinated vigilante operation deep inside the forest where the monarch and other captives were held.

A community insider said the rescue attempt turned into a gunfight around the Eku Idaji axis, near Igbaja, forcing the bandits to flee and giving the captives an opportunity to escape.

“The vigilante team launched an attack on the bandits in the forest and engaged them in a fierce battle,” the source revealed. “The Baale and the six others have not yet reached the community, but they have contacted us to confirm they managed to escape.”

The bandits had earlier demanded a ransom of N150 million for the monarch’s release. In a phone call to the community on Sunday morning, the kidnappers allowed the Ojibara to speak, confirming he was alive and still in their custody.

During the emotional conversation, he pleaded with the community to negotiate for his freedom and recounted how he endured a gruelling five-hour motorcycle journey through thick forest before reaching the bandits’ camp. He also disclosed that several residents from neighbouring communities had been abducted around the same period.

The monarch was seized at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday when armed men stormed his farm, shooting sporadically before whisking him away.

Although the monarch has yet to physically return home, Bayagan community is already in a state of relief, with residents hopeful and anxiously awaiting his safe arrival.