A full look at the wave of abductions gripping Kwara South, from a kidnapped traditional ruler to a young woman held for over a month with her TikTok turned into a ransom tool.
Ilorin, Kwara State — Updated August 27, 2026
Kwara South Senatorial District is grappling with several overlapping kidnapping cases that, taken together, illustrate both the scale and the evolving tactics of banditry now affecting the region, from a monarch snatched from his palace to a young woman held captive for more than a month while her own social media account is used to pressure her family for ransom.
On the night of August 22, armed bandits invaded Igbesi community in Isin Local Government Area and abducted the traditional ruler, Oba Moses Oyinloye Iwedunmoye I, the Onigbesi of Igbesi Land. Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, confirmed the monarch's abduction, though his account, that no one else was taken, conflicts with palace and community sources describing additional victims. His whereabouts remain unknown, with one account citing a ₦20 million ransom demand tied to his release.
Just hours earlier, on August 21, bandits struck Dabu community in neighbouring Ifelodun LGA and abducted Iya Ayoka, the first wife of the town's Baale. The Kwara South Development Forum (KSDF) said the abduction had deepened fear across Dabu and surrounding communities, and stated flatly: "We are not ready to pay a dime. The government needs to bring her back to us."
The most disturbing case remains unresolved from weeks earlier: the July 15 abduction of 23-year-old Babatunde Fasilat from Wande community, also in Ifelodun LGA. According to KSDF, four bandits invaded her home and shot her father as he tried to defend her before dragging her from the house.
More than a month later, her captors are reportedly still demanding ₦20 million for her release, using her own TikTok account to post messages and pressure the public and her family, a tactic that marks an unusual escalation in how kidnappers in the area are attempting to extract ransom.
These cases sit atop a long-running crisis in Kwara South. In November 2025, bandits attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 congregants.
In February 2026, more than 176 people, mostly women and children, were abducted from Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama LGA in what became one of the deadliest attacks in the state's history, with victims held for roughly six months before their eventual release in early August. Multiple attacks on churches, farming communities, and travelers throughout Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun, Kaiama, and Baruten LGAs have continued in the months since, despite the deployment of five new army battalions to the state, reported by Premium Times on August 11.
KSDF has accused the Kwara State Government of misrepresenting the security situation in Kwara South, alleging officials have repeatedly assured residents the region is secure despite what it describes as persistent, unresolved attacks and abductions.
The group also criticised Ifelodun Local Government authorities for what it called an inadequate response to repeated complaints from residents, even as it noted that some previously displaced residents are gradually returning to their communities.
As of this report, none of the three cases, the abducted monarch, the Baale's wife, or Babatunde Fasilat, has been resolved. No arrests have been publicly announced in connection with any of the three incidents, and it remains unclear whether the ₦20 million demands tied to the monarch and to Fasilat are being pursued by the same network or are separate operations.
This remains a developing situation across multiple cases. We will update this report as confirmed information becomes available.
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