Police in western Nigeria have arrested 42 suspected illegal miners as part of an investigation into the abduction of a local monarch.
Oba Salman Olatunji Aweda, the ruler of the Olayinka community in Ifelodun, Kwara State, was kidnapped on Saturday evening when armed men stormed his palace. The kidnappers have reportedly demanded a ransom of $300,000 (£221,000) to free the traditional ruler, though the authorities have not confirmed this.
Police are conducting search operations in the surrounding area as fears grow about security in Kwara State, which has seen a recent rise in attacks on rural communities. For years, members of criminal gangs - known locally as bandits - have carried out killings and kidnappings for ransom, mainly targeting those in the northwest, but they have been moving to other parts of the country more recently.
It has led to the rise of vigilante groups, set up to protect local communities from bandits. The jihadist group Mahmuda has also been active in rural parts of Kwara - and in February launched a brazen attack on a Muslim community, killing at least 75 people.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo confirmed about 10 heavily armed men forced their way into the palace shortly after miners operating in the area had visited the monarch. They reportedly demanded money from the miners that had been given to the local king earlier in the day.
The terrorists broke down the door, fetched him from one of the rooms, and after receiving the money, they still took him away with his brother, who was later left behind when he could no longer keep up with the kidnappers.
Residents state the kidnappers demanded a ransom after their escape into the forest. Local officials are coordinating with security agencies and vigilante groups for the monarch's safe release.
Increasingly, armed groups are targeting highways, farms, and traditional leaders in Kwara, exploiting forested areas along the state's borders to evade security forces.
