Kidnappers Demand N30 Million Ransom for Abducted Kwara Women

In the early hours of Sunday, gunmen suspected to be itinerant herdsmen abducted three women in Igbaja, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. While one of the women managed to escape, two remain in captivity, with the kidnappers now demanding a N30 million ransom for their release.

The Chairman of Ifelodun LG, Femi Yusuf, confirmed that the abductors contacted the families of the victims to make their ransom demands. Speaking to PUNCH on Thursday, Yusuf explained that efforts by local authorities and security forces, including soldiers, police, and local vigilantes, are underway to track the kidnappers and secure the release of the two women.

“We are working with the state government and security agencies to rescue the victims. Currently, a search operation is ongoing in the forest where the women are believed to be held,” Yusuf said.

Tragically, during an earlier rescue attempt, the Jagun of Igbaja land, Chief Lukman Balogun, was killed in a gunfight with the kidnappers. Balogun had led a team of local vigilantes into the forest in pursuit of the abductors. His death has shaken the community, and youth in Igbaja held a protest, blocking roads to express their grief.

The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the abduction and the subsequent killing of Balogun, which led to unrest among the youth. According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, security forces are on high alert, with ongoing efforts to secure the remaining victims and bring the kidnappers to justice.

Normalcy has since returned to the area following the youth protests, and security personnel continue to comb the forest in search of the kidnappers.