Bandits invade Kwara palace and kidnap seven family members of the Elerin of Adanla.
The serenity of the festive season in Kwara State was tragically interrupted on Boxing Day when a gang of bandits brazenly marched into the palace of a traditional ruler. As an editor watching the security landscape of our nation, it is heartbreaking to report that even the sanctuaries of our traditional institutions are no longer off limits to these marauders.
The incident occurred at Adanla, a peaceful agrarian community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, where the Elerin of Adanla Irese, Oba David Adedumoye, reigns. What was supposed to be a time of rest and family bonding turned into a nightmare that has left the entire community in a state of shock and mourning.
Shock and panic in Adanla community as bandits storm the palace
The invasion happened at about 6:30 pm on Friday, December 26, 2025. According to eyewitness accounts and the coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Community Security Watch Network, Mr. Olaitan Oyin Zubair, about twenty bandits entered the village on foot. They did not arrive with the usual roar of motorcycles or vehicles; they simply marched in with an air of terrifying confidence. Their target was the palace of the Elerin.
For almost an hour, these men operated without any immediate resistance, ransacking the royal residence and carting away valuable items, including phones and even pots of food prepared for the Christmas festivities.
It is a stark reminder of how vulnerable our rural communities have become, especially during periods when security should be at its peak.
Seven family members abducted and a massive ransom was demanded
The most devastating part of this invasion was the abduction of seven members of the royal family. While the monarch himself had briefly travelled to Ilorin that afternoon, the bandits made sure they did not leave empty handed.
They seized his family members and injured two others during the chaos. Since that day, the victims have been held in an unknown location within the thick forests and hills that characterize the Kwara South terrain. The kidnappers have since established contact with the palace, demanding a staggering ransom of N300 million for their release.
For a community that lives primarily on farming, this sum is an impossible mountain to climb, and it highlights the coldhearted nature of these criminal elements who see human lives as mere bargaining chips.
Suspicion of an insider job as masked bandit leads the operation
There is a very troubling detail regarding this particular attack that suggests it might not have been a random act of violence. Reports from the palace indicate that while most of the bandits were unmasked, one individual among them wore a mask and appeared to be giving specific orders.
This masked man was able to pinpoint exactly who should be taken and who should be left behind. He was heard asking specifically for the King and the Queen, showing a level of familiarity that is highly suspicious. He spoke both Yoruba and Fulani, although his Yoruba was described as not being very fluent. This has led many to believe that the operation was carried out with the help of someone who knows the community and the palace layout very well.
Urgent call for local vigilante support to secure Kwara South
As we look for solutions to this recurring security wahala, the role of local vigilantes cannot be overemphasized. The security forces and soldiers arrived at the scene, but by then, the assailants had already disappeared into the bush.
The vigilante leader, Mr. Oyin Zubair, has called on the government to provide more support, ammunition, and incentives for local hunters and volunteers who know the terrain better than anyone else. He believes that with the current dry season making the forests less dense, a coordinated effort involving airstrikes and ground combing by locals could help flush out these bandits from their caves. Our traditional rulers deserve to live in peace, and our communities must be protected from those who wish to turn our homes into dens of fear.
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