Fulani Herder Kidnapped in Osun as Gunmen Demand ₦70 Million Ransom

Yahaya Sulaiman, a Fulani herdsman, was kidnapped at Ijebu-Jesa, in the state's Oriade local government area, according to confirmation from Osun State Police Command.

Abiodun Ojelabi, the police public relations officer, verified the event on Wednesday and said that security personnel had started looking into it.

Ojelabi revealed that the kidnappers seemed to have targeted the victim deliberately throughout the assault.

The victim is a Fulani herder named Yahaya Sulaiman. Police responded to the event right away after it was reported. He claimed that he was clearly the target of the attack.

He claims that "before carrying out the abduction, the gunmen reportedly asked a resident where the victim was."

They encountered someone when they arrived at the area and informed them that they were trying to find the kidnapped individual. They were precise.

The command has opened an investigation into the event, according to the police spokeswoman, who also urged the public to offer helpful information that could support the rescue effort.

"The police are doing what they can while they wait for the anti-kidnapping authorities to arrive, but the victim's family has not yet reported to them, despite the ongoing investigation," he stated.

The incident happened around 9 p.m. on Monday near the Iloko/Ijebu-Jesa Road, according to a source in Ijebu-Jesa who asked to remain anonymous for security concerns.

According to a town security source, the kidnappers seemed to have known the victim beforehand and pursued him on purpose.

According to the source, the gunmen first asked a local resident for information about Sulaiman's locations before locating him and transporting him to an unidentified location.

"The incident occurred in Oriade LG along Iloko/Ijebu Jesa Road at approximately 21:00 on May 4, 2026." According to the informant, the gunmen explicitly demanded to know Yahaya Sulaiman's location when they opened fire late in the evening.

Among the local Fulani males, he is a huge man. He is a cow breeder. The kidnappers have called his family and demanded a ransom of N70 million, he continued.