According to authorities, a group of armed individuals murdered a Nigerian ruler and abducted his spouse during an attack on his palace. The incidents of kidnappings throughout the nation have sparked widespread anger.
On Thursday, assailants invaded the residence of Oba Aremu Olusegun Cole in the south-western region of Kwara state. They fatally shot him and also kidnapped his wife and another individual.
The state police have initiated an inquiry and increased security measures.
Frequent incidents of this nature occur in Nigeria, where the country is facing a security crisis on multiple fronts. On Monday, two local leaders were fatally shot by unidentified assailants in the nearby state of Ekiti.
In the previous year, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president, was elected with a promise to tackle issues of insecurity, such as the presence of jihadists in the north-east, criminal militias in the north-west, and increasing intercommunal conflicts in the central region of the nation. However, critics argue that the level of violence continues to escalate despite these efforts.
According to SBM Intelligence, a risk consultancy in Nigeria, 3,964 individuals have been reported as kidnapped since Tinubu assumed office in May.
Earlier this year, a group of criminals kidnapped five sisters near the capital city, Abuja. Despite a ransom being demanded, one of the sisters was tragically killed when the deadline passed. This sparked a nationwide outcry.
Source: theguardian.com
