TERRORISTS KIDNAP MONARCH AND SON, SHOOT QUEEN IN KWARA PALACE INVASION

Suspected terrorists have kidnapped the monarch of Aafin Community, Oba S.Y. Olaonipekun, and his son, Olaolu, a serving National Youth Service Corps member. The attack occurred at about 8:00 pm on Wednesday, December 31, 2026, at the palace in Aafin Ile-Ere in the Ile-Ire district of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara state.

Assailants stormed the palace, shooting sporadically and forcing their way inside after breaking down doors. During the invasion, the Olori, or queen consort, Felicia Olaonipekun, was shot in the arm but escaped abduction. She was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

An eyewitness at the palace, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the sudden attack. “I noticed some strange movements outside around 8:00 pm and alerted those inside. We started locking doors and switching off the lights, but once they realised this, they started shooting,” the source said. The witness added, “They forced their way in and demanded to see the Kabiyesi. They also asked for his wife, but she had already been hit by a bullet. Kabiyesi came out and they took him away. They later discovered Olaolu, who was hiding, and seized him as well.”

No fewer than ten family members and visitors were inside the palace at the time, having gathered for New Year festivities. The community’s vigilante unit, which reportedly had only two members on night duty, was unable to confront the heavily armed attackers. “The vigilantes could not do much because they were just two on duty. The gunmen came straight to the palace and didn’t attack any other house,” the eyewitness stated.

The abduction has heightened fear in Kwara South, where insecurity continues to worsen. This incident comes barely weeks after the release of the Ojibara of Bayagan Ile, Kamilu Salami, who was kidnapped from his farm in the same local government area and held for about 25 days. His release followed the payment of a huge ransom. Confirming his return at the time, community spokesperson Ayinla Lawal said, “Our elders pleaded that the amount should not be disclosed, but it was huge.” He revealed that the abductors initially rejected an earlier payment of ten million naira and later demanded an additional fifteen million naira before releasing the monarch.