Kidnappers have abducted a traditional ruler, Oba Salman Aweda, alongside his wife and another resident during a late-night attack on Olayinka community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident occurred around 1:40 a.m. on Saturday when heavily armed assailants stormed the palace, firing sporadically to instill fear among residents before whisking the victims away to an undisclosed location.
Oba Aweda, who was recently elevated by the state government, is the latest high-profile victim in a growing wave of insecurity affecting parts of the country.
The development has reignited concerns over the handling of security intelligence, particularly in relation to warnings issued by Primate Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church. The cleric had repeatedly cautioned about rising insecurity, including targeted attacks on traditional rulers across several states.
Prior to recent incidents—including attacks on military formations, a monarch in Ondo State, bomb explosions in Borno, and a church assault during the Easter period—Ayodele had urged authorities to take proactive measures to prevent looming threats.
In one of his warnings, the cleric specifically predicted that terrorists would begin targeting traditional rulers in states such as Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara, Kano, Kogi, Ondo, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, and Yobe, with possible spillover to the Federal Capital Territory.
The Kwara abduction has now intensified scrutiny on security agencies, with observers questioning whether adequate steps were taken to forestall such attacks despite repeated alerts.
As concerns mount, residents and stakeholders continue to call for urgent, decisive action to curb the escalating wave of kidnappings and restore confidence in the nation’s security architecture.