Bandits Demand N500m Ransom for Release of Five Kwara Kidnap Victims

Armed bandits have demanded a ransom of ₦500 million for the release of five road construction workers abducted about two weeks ago in Kwara State.

The workers were kidnapped on December 15, 2025, in broad daylight at a Kwara State Government road construction site along the Sabaja/Owa-Onire Road in Isin Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking to journalists in Ilorin on Sunday, families of the abducted workers accused the state government of neglect. The families, led by Mr. Dare Boyinbogun, disclosed that the kidnappers had contacted them and demanded the ₦500 million ransom.
According to Boyinbogun, the abductors have refused to continue negotiations with the families or the host community, insisting that discussions must be held strictly with the government or not at all.
He explained that repeated efforts by the families and community members to get the state government, through the Ministry of Works, to intervene had yielded no result.
“The government does not appear to be taking this matter seriously, which is why we are compelled to address the press,” he said.
Boyinbogun recalled that the suspected bandits invaded the construction site at about 11:40 a.m. on the day of the incident and abducted five workers identified as Ademola Afolabi, Abdullahi Lade, Emmanuel Okuwadare Kayode, Fatai Akin, and their driver, Yusuf.
“From that moment, our lives have been suspended between hope and despair,” he lamented.
He stressed that the victims were law-abiding citizens who were simply contributing to the development of Kwara State and Nigeria.
“They left home that morning expecting to return safely. Instead, their families have been plunged into pain, fear and uncertainty,” he said.
While acknowledging the efforts of the police and other security agencies, Boyinbogun noted that time was running out.
“Every passing hour worsens the trauma of the wives, children and elderly parents who depend entirely on these men,” he said, adding that many of the affected families have no alternative source of income and are now facing hunger, psychological distress and deep uncertainty.
The families, including the wives and children of the victims, appealed to the state government and security agencies to intensify rescue operations and treat the abduction as an emergency of top priority until all the victims are safely released.
They also called on the government to establish direct communication with the families, provide immediate welfare support and counselling, and strengthen security along construction corridors and rural roads to prevent further attacks.
Appealing directly to the kidnappers, the families said the abducted men are fathers, sons and brothers, and pleaded for their safe and unharmed release.
“To the authorities, we say: do not allow these families to become forgotten statistics. Let action speak louder than assurances,” they said.
Speaking on behalf of the wives, Mrs. Idayat Lade, in tears, begged the abductors to release their husbands alive. She also appealed to the state government, revealing that she recently lost a baby due to the emotional trauma caused by the ongoing ordeal.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has directed the police to arrest those responsible for attacking women protesters at the Kwara State Government House.
A viral video showed suspected hoodlums assaulting women who were protesting near the gate of the under-construction Government House over the weekend.
Reacting via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, the governor described the incident as unacceptable, stressing that peaceful protest is a democratic right. He distanced his administration from the attack and ordered the police to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. (The Guardian)