Nigerian police have arrested 42 suspected illegal miners in connection with the abduction of a traditional ruler in Kwara State, a region in west-central Nigeria that has experienced a sharp rise in attacks on rural communities. Oba Salman Olatunji Aweda, the monarch of the Olayinka community in the town of Ifelodun, was seized on Saturday evening when around ten heavily armed men stormed his palace. Residents say the kidnappers subsequently made contact demanding a ransom of $300,000 (approximately £221,000), though authorities have not officially confirmed the figure.

According to Kwara State Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo, the assault came shortly after miners who had been operating in the area visited the palace and handed the monarch an undisclosed sum of money. The gunmen broke down the palace door, dragged the king from one of his rooms and demanded the money he had received. Despite handing it over, the monarch was still taken away at gunpoint, along with his brother. The brother, who was barefoot, became too exhausted to continue and was tied to a tree and abandoned. The kidnappers then disappeared into the surrounding forest with the monarch. Local officials say they are working with security agencies and vigilante groups to secure his safe release.

The incident reflects a broader and worsening security crisis in parts of Nigeria. For years, criminal gangs — referred to locally as bandits — have carried out killings and kidnappings for ransom, primarily in the country's north-west. Security analysts and officials note that these groups have increasingly been expanding their operations southward into states like Kwara. Armed groups have targeted highways, farms and traditional leaders, frequently using dense forested areas along state borders to evade security forces. Vigilante groups have emerged in many communities in response, filling gaps left by overstretched police and military units.

Kwara has also seen activity from the jihadist group Mahmuda, which in February carried out a deadly attack on a Muslim community, killing at least 75 people. That assault reportedly targeted the family of a traditional ruler who had refused to allow the group to preach nearby, underscoring the particular vulnerability of local monarchs and community leaders. The arrest of the 42 suspected miners suggests investigators believe the earlier visit to the palace may have been connected to the abduction, though the precise nature of that relationship remains under investigation. Police say search operations in the surrounding area are ongoing.