Oyo Fulani Leader Breaks Silence: ‘I Refused To Pay N80Million Rans0m, They K!lled My Child And I Never Found The C0rpse’

Oyo Fulani Leader Breaks Silence: ‘I Refused To Pay N80Million Ransom, They Killed My Child And I Never Found The Corpse’

Bello made the revelation in a viral video seen by SaharaReporters, where he spoke emotionally about his personal experience with kidnapping, linking it to the broader insecurity situation in the country, including the Oriire school abduction incident.

The Seriki Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Yaqub Bello, has narrated how armed kidnappers abducted his child, demanded a ₦80 million ransom, and eventually killed the victim after holding the family in prolonged distress.

Bello made the revelation in a viral video seen by SaharaReporters, where he spoke emotionally about his personal experience with kidnapping, linking it to the broader insecurity situation in the country, including the Oriire school abduction incident.

Some Fulani residents in the state have lamented what they describe as increasing stigma and ethnic profiling since the abduction. Some residents have accused Fulani leaders of failing to take action against criminal elements within their community.

According to him, the abductors kept his child in captivity for over two months during the period widely referred to as the “No Cash” era, when the scarcity of cash across the country worsened ransom negotiations and family responses.

“I, who am speaking to you, have personally experienced the pain of kidnapping. They kidnapped my children and demanded money. I told them I didn’t have money, and they held my children for more than two months,” he said.

He added that the kidnappers insisted on a ₦80 million ransom which he said he was unable to pay.

“It was during the ‘No Cash’ period, and they demanded a ransom of ₦80 million. They held my child captive for more than two months. I refused to pay, and in the end, they killed my child,” he said.

Bello further disclosed that up till now, he has not been able to recover the remains of his child.

“Up till now, I have not seen the corpse of my child,” he added.

The Oyo State Fulani leader’s account adds to growing concerns over the recent kidnapping of school children and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Last week, the Oyo State Police Command dismissed reports claiming that one of the schoolchildren abducted during a terrorist attack on three schools in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of the state, had died while in captivity.

The Command described the report as false, malicious and designed to spread panic among residents.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said no security agency involved in the ongoing rescue operation had confirmed the alleged death of any of the abducted pupils.

“The Oyo State Police Command has observed with grave concern the circulation of a malicious and entirely unfounded report alleging that one of the schoolchildren abducted during the recent incident at Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area, has died while in captivity,” the statement read.

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