The son of Oba Simeon Olanipekun, the Oniwo of Afin, Olaolu, who was kidnapped by armed bandits on December 31, 2025, has regained his freedom in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
However, the monarch and other captives are still being held by the bandits, who have reportedly demanded a ransom running into millions of naira for their release.
Olaolu, a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, was abducted alongside his father and several residents during a violent raid on the monarch’s palace in the Ile-Ere district of the council area.
Security sources confirmed the release of the youth corps member on Monday in Ilorin but did not disclose whether a ransom was paid by the community.
The bandits had earlier threatened to kill either the monarch or his son if the community failed to pay the demanded ransom.
On December 31, 2025, about eight armed bandits invaded Afin community in the Ile-Ere district of Ifelodun and abducted the traditional ruler, Oba Olanipekun, alongside one of his sons during a violent assault on the palace.
The attack, which occurred around 8:00 p.m., was carried out by masked gunmen who fired their way into the palace to seize their targets.
A family source who was present during the incident said the assailants appeared to have come specifically for the monarch and his wife.
“I noticed some strange movements outside around 8:00 p.m. and immediately alerted those inside. We began locking doors and switching off lights, but once they realised this, they started shooting,” the source said.
According to him, the gunmen broke down the palace doors and demanded to see the Kabiyesi.
“They gained entrance and requested for the Kabiyesi, and he came out. They were also asking for his wife, Felicia Olanipekun, but she had already been hit by a bullet in the arm,” he said.
The source added that Olaolu, who was hiding during the attack, was later seized after stepping out.
“There were about ten of us in the palace at the time, as we had come to spend the holiday with Kabiyesi.”
Everyone was hiding. After they left, we rushed the Olori to the hospital that same night,” he said.
“The vigilantes could not do much because they were just two on duty. The leader of the attackers spoke very good English and they came straight to the palace. They did not attack any other place in the town,” the source added.
The incident was reported to several police formations, including the Owu-Isin and Ijara-Isin divisions, as well as the joint local security network in Ikosin, while neighbouring traditional rulers were also informed.
As at the time of filing this report, there was no official information on contact with the abductors. The community appealed to the state government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of the monarch and others still in captivity.
