The Oniwo of Aafin in Ile-Ire district of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Oba Simeon Olanipekun, has regained his freedom after spending about a month in the hands of suspected kidnappers, his family has confirmed. The traditional ruler was released on Wednesday night, with relatives saying they paid an additional ₦12 million, on top of an earlier ₦20 million, to secure his release.
Oba Olanipekun and one of his sons, Olaolu, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps, were abducted in a violent raid on the monarch’s palace on New Year’s Eve. A family source who spoke to PUNCH Online on condition of anonymity, due to security concerns, said prolonged negotiations with the captors culminated in the monarch’s release late Wednesday.
“It is true the monarch was released on Wednesday night after we paid ₦12 million and two power banks in addition to the earlier ₦20 million paid before,” the source said.
“They dropped him at a local herders’ settlement around Oreke in Ifelodun Local Government Area. From there, he was taken to the military base in Oreke, where they contacted us.”
The source added that Oba Olanipekun was receiving medical care at a yet-to-be-disclosed hospital, following physical and psychological trauma suffered during his ordeal. Despite the emotional toll, the source said the monarch was in “high spirits” and that the family and the entire Aafin community were immensely grateful to everyone involved in ensuring his safe return.
However, officials of the Kwara State Police Command acknowledged only that the monarch had been freed, without confirming any ransom payment. SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the command’s spokesperson, told PUNCH Online on Thursday that the ruler had been reunited with his family due to intensified joint security operations in the area.
“You are aware that their ongoing joint security operations on that axis and the bandits are fleeing; we are not aware of any ransom payment,” she said.
“The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has always frowned at ransom payment and always advised victim families to provide security agencies with credible information.”
The initial abduction in late December shocked residents of the Ile-Ire district and surrounding rural communities, which have in recent months been grappling with a surge in kidnappings and banditry. According to earlier reports, about eight gunmen stormed the Aafin palace on the night of the attack, firing sporadically and demanding to see the monarch and his wife before abducting him and his son.
The violent incident prompted fear and outrage among residents, many of whom called for urgent intervention by state and federal security agencies. Community leaders voiced distress over the continued threat posed by criminal elements in the area, insisting that traditional leaders and ordinary citizens alike were vulnerable.
Oba Olanipekun’s release marks a significant relief not just for his family but also for the Aafin community, where residents expressed hope that the incident would spur authorities to intensify efforts to restore security across Kwara’s southern axis, a region that has seen a steady rise in high-profile kidnappings.
