Family members and palace sources confirmed the incident to newsmen on Sunday, revealing that the monarch was kidnapped from his farm last Friday morning, 28 November 2025, around 9:30 a.m.

Eyewitnesses said a gang of masked gunmen wielding AK-47 rifles, who had been trailing the traditional ruler for days, stormed the farm, overpowered him, and whisked him away on motorcycles into the forest.

A neighbouring farmer who witnessed the abduction from a hidden spot in his guinea corn farm said he was too terrified to intervene.

“I saw them force His Royal Highness onto a motorcycle and speed off. I was afraid they would kill me too if they spotted me,” the farmer recounted.

The abduction was only confirmed hours later when a search party found the monarch’s motorcycle abandoned on the farm.

In the early hours of Sunday, the kidnappers contacted the palace and community, demanding N150 million ransom. 

They forced Oba Salami to speak on the phone to prove he was alive and in their custody.

The monarch reportedly told his people that the gunmen rode with him deep into the forest for over five hours before reaching their camp, and that several other residents from neighbouring communities were also abducted along the route.

A family source said formal negotiations have not yet begun, as the initial call was only to state the ransom demand and confirm the monarch’s captivity.

The Kwara State Police Command is yet to issue an official statement on the incident, but security sources say efforts are underway to rescue the traditional ruler and arrest the perpetrators.