Gunmen have kidnapped the Aniwo 1 of Aafin community, Oba Simeon Olaonipekun, and one of his sons during an attack on the royal palace in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The attackers stormed the palace around 8 p.m. on Wednesday night, New Year’s Eve. They fired shots and demanded to see the monarch and his wife.
A family member inside the palace said panic spread immediately as the shooting started.
“Around 8pm, I noticed some strange movements outside and I immediately alerted those inside. We started locking all the doors and switching off inner lights, but when they realised what we were doing, they began shooting sporadically,” the source said.
Attackers Break In and Demand Monarch
The source said about eight gunmen forced entry into the palace after breaking down doors with their guns.
“They are about eight in number because I saw them from where I was hiding. They used their guns to break down the door, gained entrance and requested for the Kabiesi, and he came out,” he said.
The attackers also asked to see the queen. During the forced entry, a bullet hit her arm.
“They were asking for his wife too, but she has been hit with a bullet in the arm, during their attempt to gain entrance,” the source added.
Gunmen Escape With Son as Queen Is Injured
The eyewitness said one of the monarch’s sons later came out with the queen to prevent further casualties.
“We were about 10 in the palace around that time to come spend the holiday with Kabiesi, so everyone was hiding during the incident,” he said.
He added that the leader of the attackers spoke fluent English and focused only on the monarch and his wife.
“The leader of the kidnappers spoke good English and the only thing they were asking is the Kabiesi and when he came out, they were asking for his wife too,” he said.
After the gunmen left with the monarch and his son, residents rushed the injured queen to a hospital.
Police Aware as Insecurity Grows in Kwara
The source said local vigilantes could not stop the attack due to limited manpower.
“The town vigilante could not do much because they were two that came out that time and they couldn’t match the firepower of the assailants,” he said.
Residents reported the incident to nearby police divisions and local security teams that same night.
When contacted, the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the incident. She said officers were still gathering details.
The abduction adds to rising insecurity in Ifelodun and other rural parts of Kwara State.
