Authorities in southwest Nigeria report that armed men have shot and killed a traditional ruler, abducting his wife and another person.
On Thursday night, Segun Aremu, a retired army general and monarch known as the Olukoro of Koro, had his palace besieged by the invaders. It’s unclear who the gunmen were or if they’re asking for a ransom.
A state of emergency was called for to address the issue, and that is exactly what happened with this most recent murder and kidnapping.
More than 1,800 individuals have been kidnapped since President Bola Tinubu entered office in May of last year, according to some 50 civil society organizations, who want him to make that announcement.
However, according to Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence, the actual number of kidnappings during that period may have been around 4,000, more than twice as high.
The payment of ransom money is illegal in Nigeria, regardless of how dire the situation. Nonetheless, a lot of victims settle because they have little faith in the government or its reputation.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has denounced the assassination of the Olukoro of Koro in Kwara state, calling it “reckless, shocking, and abominable” and promised that the perpetrators will be apprehended.
It’s a manhunt, according to the police. Additionally, they have assured the neighborhood that a police outpost will be established.
There are hundreds of traditional rulers in Nigeria who are well-respected members of the community despite having no official position under the constitution. They are frequently asked to conduct cultural events and mediate conflicts between locals.
Five students and four instructors were abducted earlier this week in the neighboring state of Ekiti, and the abductors demanded a ransom of 100 million naira ($110,000; £87,500) in exchange for their release.
On Wednesday night, a top government official was taken in the Bwari district of Abuja, the capital, not far from the residence of six sisters who were kidnapped together with their father last month and held for ransom.
