Relief has swept through the Bayagan-Ile community in Ifelodun Local Council of Kwara State following the release of its traditional ruler, Kamilu Salami, who was abducted by gunmen late last year.

The Ojibara of Bayagan, Alhaji Salami, was kidnapped on November 29, 2025, while working on his farm. He returned to the community late on Tuesday evening, nearly a month after his abduction.

Sources close to the palace said the monarch is currently receiving intensive medical care at an undisclosed facility and is responding to treatment after spending weeks in the forest.

While his return has triggered celebrations among residents, it has also heightened anger towards the Kwara State Government over what the community described as a lack of response during his captivity.

For more than three weeks, the Bayagan-Ile Royal Family and community leaders publicly appealed for state intervention, accusing the government and security agencies of silence and abandonment.

The Guardian learnt that the monarch’s release was mainly secured through communal efforts rather than official intervention.The perceived neglect reportedly led to a mass exodus from Bayagan-Ile earlier in the week, with many residents fleeing their homes out of fear and a sense of vulnerability in the absence of both their ruler and adequate security.

As of yesterday morning, neither the Kwara State Police Command nor the state government had issued an official statement on the circumstances surrounding the monarch’s release.