Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested 42 illegal miners in connection with the weekend abduction of Oba Salman Olátúnjí Aweda, the traditional ruler of Olayinka community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, as forest guards and local vigilantes intensify a search operation for the monarch. The attackers, approximately ten heavily armed men, stormed the palace around 1:40 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, 2026, breaking down the door and dragging the monarch from his room. Their target, it emerged, was not simply the king’s person but a specific sum of money they believed he had received from miners earlier that day. Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo, who confirmed the arrests on Monday, said the force responded swiftly with drones and other logistics, leading to the detention of the miners. However, he issued a crucial caveat: “I cannot confirm whether those who abducted the monarch were among the illegal miners we arrested.”
The abduction of Oba Aweda, a recently elevated and formally installed monarch, has sent shockwaves through the quiet agrarian settlements of Kwara South, a region that had enjoyed relative calm until a recent resurgence of banditry. The sequence of events reveals an abduction that was both premeditated and deeply personal. Earlier on the day of the attack, a group of miners had visited the palace to pay homage to the traditional ruler, handing over royalty payments in what was meant to be a routine courtesy. Hours later, the armed men arrived with precise knowledge of that transaction. Police Commissioner Ojo explained that the attackers “broke down the door, fetched him from one of the rooms and demanded the money the miners gave him earlier.” The monarch handed over the money immediately, but compliance did not bring freedom. He was taken away, along with his brother, who had been present during the attack.
In a remarkable turn that has captivated local residents, the monarch’s brother was eventually released by the kidnappers not through negotiation but through sheer exhaustion. The police commissioner recounted that the brother, who was abducted without wearing any footwear, became worn out during the forced trek into the bush. “He told them to kill him if they wished, complaining that he was tired of going ahead with the journey,” Ojo said. Instead of killing him, the abductors tied him to a tree and continued deeper into the forest with the monarch alone. The brother was later found by villagers and has since provided critical details to security operatives. According to community sources, the kidnappers have already reached out with a ransom demand of N400 million for the monarch’s release.
The involvement of illegal miners in the saga has added a complex layer to an already volatile security puzzle. While the police have stressed that a direct link between the arrested miners and the abduction has not yet been established, the timing of the visit and the subsequent attack has left little room for coincidence. All 42 suspects are currently in custody at the police headquarters in Ilorin, where investigations continue. The Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, visited the community on Saturday and described the incident as deeply unfortunate. He disclosed that a coordinated search and rescue operation involving security personnel, forest guards, and local vigilantes has been launched across surrounding forests and neighbouring settlements. “We are deeply concerned about this incident, and we are taking swift and decisive action in collaboration with security agencies,” Yusuf said.
The abduction has reignited fears that insecurity is creeping back into Kwara South, a senatorial district that had witnessed a spate of similar incidents in the past. The Joint Security Watch Kwara South, a community security group, issued a strong condemnation on Sunday, describing the incident as a disturbing escalation. The group’s coordinator, Elder Olaitan Oyin Zubair, recalled previous abductions in Idofin Odo Ase, where schools were shut down for months, and warned that failure to act swiftly could worsen the fragile security situation. “We cannot continue to watch our traditional rulers and innocent citizens fall prey to kidnappers. The time for decisive, coordinated action by all security agencies is now,” Zubair stated. The group has renewed calls for full-scale military operations in the area, noting that such efforts would complement the ongoing operations of security personnel.
As the search enters its third day, the Olayinka community remains in a state of panic, with many residents fleeing their homes for fear of further attacks. The palace, once a symbol of traditional authority, now stands with a broken door, a silent testament to the brazenness of the assailants. For the family of Oba Aweda, the hours drag on with no word of his condition. The police have assured the public that every necessary step is being taken to secure the monarch’s safe return, and Commissioner Ojo has urged residents to remain calm and provide useful intelligence. But with a N400 million ransom hanging over the negotiations and 42 suspects in custody whose direct involvement remains unproven, the path to resolution is far from clear. The forest guards continue their search, and the people of Kwara South wait, hoping that their king will return before the next dawn brings more bad news.
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