Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Sixty-three-year-old Bukola Daramola, the Queen of Ikerin-Opin in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, has shared a heartbreaking account in an interview published yesterday of how bandits killed a 14-year-old boy she raised as her own son and abducted 18 worshippers during a church rehearsal, while demanding a staggering ₦280 million ransom for their release.
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday, May 25, 2026, when a children's anniversary programme was being planned at a church located on a mountain in the community. The boy, Kola Aina, was excited about the event and pleaded with the queen to let him attend rehearsals with his friends. He left home shortly before 6 p.m., but around 7:30 p.m., the bandits arrived. They had not even entered the church before they started shooting. Three people were hit by bullets, while 18 others were abducted and taken into the bush.
Kola Aina was not just any child to the queen. He was like a grandson, the last-born of her family, and her constant companion since the death of her husband, the Olowa of Owa-Ode, Oba Ademola Daramola, in November 2024. The queen recounted how she first met Kola hawking puff-puff barefoot on the streets years ago. She bought him shoes and from that day, he was determined to live with her. He eventually ran to the palace, knelt before the king, and begged to stay. The king agreed, and from that moment, Kola became part of their family. He was preparing to write his Junior WAEC examination and had dreams of learning vocational skills in aluminium door fabrication and POP installation. "I asked him why he did not dream of becoming a lawyer," the queen said. "He replied that not every graduate was able to find a job. He said he preferred to learn a skill so he could earn a living and take care of me."
On the day of the attack, Kola was happy, looking forward to wearing his new clothes and shoes. The queen gave him plenty of mangoes and oranges to share with the other children and promised to join them the following day. She never got the chance. When she heard what happened, she completely lost herself and fainted. "He was a boy I loved dearly," she said, her voice heavy with grief. "Now everything has fallen apart. We no longer have anyone but God."
The bandits, who spoke both English and Fulfulde, abducted 18 worshippers, including the pastor's wife and children. According to survivors, one of the attackers even shot a colleague in the hand for killing too many people. "They didn't tell us to kill; stop killing. They told us to pack all of them," the queen quoted one survivor as saying. The community has been in a state of paralysis ever since. Many people have fled, fearing that if bandits could attack a church, they could also attack homes. "It feels as though we are living in a prison," the queen lamented. "Even if you have good clothes now, you won't want to wear them because you fear being identified as someone who appears to have money."
The bandits initially demanded ₦300 million but have now reduced the amount to ₦280 million. The queen said the community has been unable to raise even ₦10 million, and the bandits have threatened to kill the captives if they do not receive the money. "Where are we going to get such money? Everyone is struggling to raise it," she said. The queen also revealed that this is the third such incident in the community. The first time, a stray bullet hit a corps member in the neck. Less than two months ago, bandits abducted the wife and three children of a Fulani herder, who were released after the family reportedly paid ₦45 million in ransom.
The queen made a desperate appeal to the government, urging them to help rescue the 18 abducted worshippers. "If they cannot apprehend the bandits, they should pay the ransom so the victims can be released," she said. "Everyone is crying over their loved ones who have been kidnapped. They should sympathise with us. The people in the bush are suffering, and those of us at home are suffering too. Nobody can go to work or open their shops while our loved ones remain in captivity."
For the queen, the grief is compounded by the loss of the boy she raised as her own. "Despite being just 14 years old, there was no meal he could not prepare," she recalled. "He was always helping me around the house. Now everything has come to a standstill." As the community waits in anguish, the queen's question lingers: when will the government act to end the nightmare?
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