Bandits have invaded the palace of the Elerin of Adanla Irese, Oba David Adedumoye, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, kidnapping seven members of the royal family and injuring two others.
The Coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Community Security Watch Network, Mr Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, disclosed this while speaking on the incident in an interview with The PUNCH.
According to him, the attack which occurred on Boxing Day, December 26, 2025 happened at about 6:30 pm when no security personnel were stationed at the palace.
“The incident happened about 6:30 pm on Friday, December 26, 2025. About 20 bandits invaded Adanla community and went straight to the monarch’s palace,” he said.
Oyin-Zubair said the armed men operated freely for close to one hour, ransacking the palace and stealing valuables before leaving with their victims.
“They raided and ransacked the palace for almost an hour. There was no security. They abducted royal family members and also carted away their phones and other valuable items,” he said.
He added that the attackers also looted food items prepared for festive ceremonies.
“They even carried some pots used in the palace for the Christmas Day ceremony, which took place the previous day. There was supposed to be another ceremony on Saturday, so the bandits seized all the food items,” he said.
The vigilante leader confirmed that seven people were kidnapped during the attack and that their whereabouts remained unknown days after.
“They kidnapped seven people and injured two people. As of Wednesday, December 31, 2025, their whereabouts are unknown,” he said.
He further revealed that the bandits later contacted the monarch and demanded a ransom of N300m.
“Recently, they demanded a ransom of N300m. They contacted the monarch himself,” Oyin-Zubair said.
He explained that the bandits did not use any vehicle to access the community.
“They didn’t use any vehicles. They boldly marched into the village and made their entry into the palace. Nobody saw them with any vehicle,” he said.
Oyin-Zubair said the monarch was not at home when the attack happened, adding that the bandits were actually looking for him.
“The bandits were asking for the monarch and his queen. He was not around; he had gone to Ilorin that same day. He left the palace around 4 pm, and the incident happened about 6:30 pm,” he said.
He said soldiers and local vigilantes later arrived at the scene, but the attackers had already escaped.
“They were there at the palace till about 7:30 pm before a rescue team came. The soldiers and the local vigilantes came, but the assailants had gone,” he added.
Oyin-Zubair said the rescue team had since been combing nearby bushes without success.
He disclosed that although kidnapping had occurred in the area before, this was the first time the palace was targeted.
“A woman was kidnapped at Oniyangi farms in the Adanla area. She sold charcoal. She spent one month in their den and was released after N5m ransom was paid. She was released just three days ago,” he said.
He described the palace invasion as suspicious, suggesting possible insider involvement.
“One of the bandits could pinpoint certain people. He was ordering others to leave some people and abduct others. He asked, ‘Where is kabiyesi? Where is Olori?’ He wore a mask and spoke Yoruba and Fulani, but his Yoruba was not fluent,” he said.
On the number of attackers, he said, “More than 10 bandits entered; eight were inside, while two stayed outside giving orders.”
Speaking on how to curb insecurity, Oyin-Zubair said government efforts such as deploying soldiers, training forest guards and empowering vigilantes should be sustained.
“I believe the deployment of soldiers and newly trained forest guards can work. This menace can be curbed in Kwara State,” he said.
He added that the dry season offers an advantage in tracking criminals.
“When the forest is dry and set on fire, security forces can see them from a distance. With air force support and local vigilantes who know the terrain, the bandits can be overpowered,” he said.
Oyin-Zubair described Adanla as a peaceful farming community.
“It’s a serene community, not too populated. The people are peace-loving, hardworking and industrious,” he said.
He called for stronger government support for local vigilantes, noting that they understand the terrain better.
“They are volunteers. They are not working for money but for their people. All they need is support and incentives,” he said.
On state police, he expressed reservations.
“I’m not in support yet. I fear the politics and corruption that may come with it. I prefer something like Amotekun, which is doing better in the South-West,” he said.
