The Bayagan-Ile community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State has faulted the police inaction over the abduction of its monarch, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile, Kamilu Salami, who was abducted by armed bandits on November 29.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on Sunday, the spokesman for the Bayagan-Ile Royal Family, Rafiu Lawal, lamented that the community had been left to bear the burden of securing the monarch’s release without any official updates from the police.

He added that only the royal family and the community had been making efforts to secure Salami’s release.

Lawal called on the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and security agencies to intensify operations and provide timely updates.

“Since His Royal Highness was abducted, the entire community has been thrown into fear, tension, and emotional distress.

“The Nigeria Police Force has not made any official declaration, update, or public statement concerning the incident.

“The community alone cannot shoulder this burden. We desperately need the intervention, support, and strategic involvement of the Kwara State Government to complement our efforts,” Lawal said.

When contacted on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the police were doing everything possible to rescue the monarch.

“The Kwara State Police Command is doing everything within its capacity to ensure that all abducted victims are released safely to their loved ones.

“You remember the CP paraded some collaborators on Friday; the police are extracting information from them,” she said.

The kidnapping of the monarch highlights growing concerns over banditry and rural insecurity in parts of Kwara State, particularly in border communities linked to forest routes stretching into Kogi, Niger, and the wider North-Central corridor. (The PUNCH)

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