Kwara Man Regains Freedom After Paying N10.5 Million Ransom In Kogi Community

Lokoja,  Kogi State– A resident of Kwara State, identified simply as Aliyu, has regained his freedom after spending ten harrowing days in captivity and paying a ransom of ₦10.5 million.

He was released on Wednesday night in Okunran, near Egbe, in Kogi State, after his family raised the demanded sum.

Aliyu was abducted alongside his brother’s wife on August 24, 2025, in Omu-Aran, Kwara State.

According to him, the kidnappers, heavily armed, whisked them into a thick forest, where they were chained and kept under constant watch.

Speaking in a video obtained by AfrikaEyes, Aliyu appeared disheveled, his clothes dirty, and his face weary from days of suffering.

He explained how his brother’s wife, who was not tied down, managed to escape on the tenth day of captivity, eventually finding her way home safely.

“The kidnappers collected ₦10.5 million before they released me last night. Many people are still inside the forest where we were held. They have not yet paid their ransom,” Aliyu said.

He further explained that the kidnappers separated hostages into different groups across the forest. “There is a place where they kept eight people, another with two, and another with three people, which I saw myself—apart from those whose whereabouts I do not know. We were not tied in one location but in different places,” he said, raising alarm about the scale of kidnappings in the area.

Aliyu narrated that after his release, he wandered in confusion until a good Samaritan spotted him in Okuntan, a village near Egbe.

“A man saw me walking and struggling. I greeted him and asked about my location. He told me it was Okunran. I told him I didn’t know the place and explained my situation to him. He accommodated me last night, and I slept in his house until this morning. He was the one who brought me to Egbe today,” he explained.

Despite being transported on motorcycles by the kidnappers, Aliyu disclosed that he was never blindfolded, which allowed him to observe the terrain.

He said the abductors confiscated his phone but later gave him a small handset into which they inserted his SIM card, enabling him to maintain some contact during negotiations for his release.

The incident has instigated fear and tension in Kwara South and the adjoining Kogi border communities, where kidnappings have become increasingly rampant.

Meanwhile, the forests bordering Kwara and Kogi States have become notorious hideouts for criminal gangs who target travelers and residents for ransom.