Security
Suspected Kidnappers Behead Amotekun Operative in Oyo While Attempting to Pay Ransom
By Joseph Sunday
Suspected kidnappers have beheaded an operative of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, while he was attempting to pay ransom for the release of his younger brother.
The victim, identified as Robert Olorode, was killed on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State.
His younger brother, Elijah Okeleye, a farmer and resident of Afija’s Compound in Ilaji-Oke, was abducted on Wednesday, October 21, while returning from his farm in Saaji-daada, in the same LGA.
It was gathered that the abductors initially demanded N15 million ransom, but later reduced it to N500,000.
In a desperate bid to secure his brother’s freedom, Olorode volunteered to deliver the ransom to the kidnappers’ hideout on Saturday. He was, however, killed on arrival.
The incident has heightened fears over worsening insecurity in rural communities in Oyo State, where farmers are increasingly targeted by kidnappers on their farmlands and access roads.
Confirming the incident, the Bajigan of Ilaji-Oke, Oba Jeremiah Oyeboade Oladosu, said the deceased was a member of the Amotekun Corps.
He, however, clarified that Olorode embarked on the ransom delivery in his personal capacity as a family member, and not as part of an official Amotekun operation.
As of press time, the whereabouts of the abducted farmer, Okeleye, remains unknown.