Kwara Council Chairman Confesses To Secret Ransom Payments For Abducted Victims

The Chairman of Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, Garba Olayinka Agbelere, has disclosed that local governments sometimes contribute money towards ransom payments to secure the release of kidnapped victims, but deliberately keep such interventions away from public knowledge.

Agbelere made the disclosure during a telephone conversation with SaharaReporters while reacting to allegations that he advised the families of four persons abducted in Abangbe Village to raise the ₦50 million ransom demanded by their captors.

The victims, identified as Abike, Semiu, Sofiat and Ramadan, were reportedly kidnapped by suspected bandits on October 25, 2026, in Abangbe Village, near Oke-Oyi, in Ilorin East Local Government Area.

According to the victims’ family, a representative was sent to the local government secretariat to seek government intervention and financial assistance but was allegedly told to find a way to pay the ransom because the government could not defeat the bandits at the moment.

However, the council chairman denied discussing the ransom with the family during his visit to the community, insisting that residents only appealed for improved security.

Agbelere explained that he was not around when the abduction occurred but immediately sent representatives to sympathise with the affected family before subsequently visiting the community alongside the state Commissioner, Ali Jimoh.

He said, “The moment this matter (bandit attack) happened, I was not even around. I had to send someone to go there to condole with them first. Then secondly, I called the ward chairman, the councillor, to ask them to go there, that I would visit them any moment from now.

“The moment I came back, I called Honourable Ali, the commissioner who came from their place. I was aware of the incident. We went there together to console with them.”

The chairman said he advised residents to take collective responsibility for their security, arguing that government alone could not provide adequate protection to every community at the same time.

“When I reached them, I was only advising them that everybody needs to be vigilant. I told them, like in my own community where I come from, we contribute money to buy guns to protect our people from these bandit attacks.

“I told them that the government cannot do everything. You cannot leave everything in the hands of the government because we cannot be everywhere at a time,” he said.

He maintained that the family did not inform him about the ransom demand during his visit and that he was unaware of the amount being requested by the kidnappers.

Agbelere, however, acknowledged that he had planned to send the ward chairman to the affected family to provide financial assistance.

In a further revelation, the council chairman admitted that local governments sometimes contribute money towards ransom payments to facilitate the release of kidnapped persons, although such interventions are kept secret.

He said, “We can’t pay all the ransom; we can only contribute. This is what I have always done for people who have the same issues: to contribute towards helping them pay the ransom from the local government.

“You know it is not good for us to let people know we are paying these ransoms as government. But we do it silently just to help them. But we can’t mention the amount we paid to them.”

The chairman said he was surprised by the family’s account of its encounter with the local government, maintaining that ransom payments were not discussed during his visit to the community.

His disclosure has raised fresh concerns about the extent to which public authorities may be involved in financing ransom payments amid persistent kidnapping incidents and worsening insecurity in parts of the country.

Under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, anyone who transfers funds, makes payments or colludes with kidnappers or terrorists to secure the release of abducted persons is liable, upon conviction, to a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment.

The provision was introduced through an amendment to the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, which was passed by the National Assembly in 2022 and subsequently signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari on May 12, 2022.

The law specifically criminalises financial transactions or collaboration with abductors, kidnappers or terrorists in exchange for the release of persons unlawfully confined or kidnapped.

The disclosure comes amid growing insecurity in parts of Kwara State, where residents have repeatedly raised concerns over bandit attacks, abductions and the financial burden imposed on families forced to negotiate for the freedom of their loved ones.

As of the time of filing this report, the families of the four abducted victims had appealed to the government and security agencies to urgently intervene and secure their safe release.