Newsbreak: Herdsmen kidnap Yoruba Oba in Kogi State

By Ologeh Joseph Chibu

In a troubling escalation of violence against traditional leaders in Nigeria, HRH Oba J.D. Ogunyanda Ilufemiloye, the Oba of Okoloke in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, was abducted in the early hours of Thursday.

Local sources told Irohinoodua that the monarch was seized from his palace in Okoloke by unknown gunmen, adding to a growing list of attacks against Yoruba traditional rulers.

“They came to the palace and started shooting. We were helpless. They came with sophisticated weapons. Two of them wore military camouflage” Ajayi Abiola, a native of the community told Irohinoodua.

The source said the Oba has been complaining about the destruction of farmlands by the armed herdsmen. “We are under siege. They rape and kidnap our people. We cannot go to farm and we can not go to the stream to fetch water” the witness said.

Another woman said the Oba was taken at gun point while his crown was also taken by the bandits.

He said the community have witnesses endless kidnapping by armed herdsmen amidst speculations that the armed men receive weapons from low flying helicopters that usually hover around midnight. Irohinoodua could not confirm the report of helicopters supplying arms to the insurgents.

This latest incident follows a similarly tragic episode in Ekiti State earlier this year. In January 2024, two prominent Yoruba kings, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin, the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, and Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola, the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, were ambushed and shot dead by suspected kidnappers.

The monarchs were returning from a meeting in Irele-Ekiti when they were attacked along the Oke-Ako road in Ikole Local Government Area. A third monarch, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, who was driving the vehicle, narrowly escaped with his life.

Witnesses reported that the assailants attempted to kidnap the monarchs, and when met with resistance, opened fire, killing two of them. Their bodies were later found in the nearby bush, stripped of their belongings including their crown.

The wave of violence echoes the killing of Oba General Aremu of Ikoro, another high-profile attack on Yoruba royalty in recent years, underscoring the growing insecurity faced by traditional leaders in Nigeria.

In response to the Ekiti killings, the state government, led by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, condemned the attacks and ordered security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators. Eight suspects were later arrested during a joint operation involving police, Amotekun corps, vigilantes, and local hunters in Ekiti and neighboring Ondo State.

However, the abduction of Oba Ilufemiloye in Kogi State signalled a worrying trend, raising fresh concerns about the safety of traditional rulers in the region. As pressure mounts on state governments to enhance security, many are calling for the urgent signing of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) Bill to empower local hunters to defend their communities.

However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took a decisive decision midweek when he approved the establishment of over 130,000 forests guards to police states and Local Governments.

With the latest kidnapping, the clamor for better protection for traditional institutions and their leaders is likely to grow louder, as communities grapple with the grim reality of rising violence in their midst.