Bandits Kidnap 18 Worshippers in Kwara

The single sharpest fact in one or two punchy sentences. Who did what, where, when, and why it matters. Not a summary of everything — the one thing that makes someone stop scrolling. A reader who only reads this paragraph must understand what happened. Sixty-three-year-old Bukola Daramola, the Queen of Ikerin-Opin in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, tells DANIEL AYANTOYE about the tragic kidnapping attack on her community that claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy she raised, the N280m ransom demand by the bandits, and her plea for urgent government intervention.

### The Death of Kola Aina

What led to the death of your 14-year-old boy? There was a children's anniversary programme in our church on Sunday, May 25, 2026. The church is located on a mountain. The children were excited about the anniversary and wanted to go there for rehearsals. I didn't want him to go because it was just the two of us at home. He, however, pleaded with me to let him go because his friends had come to call him. I eventually agreed. He left a few minutes before 6 p.m. Those people (the bandits) arrived around 7:30 p.m. They had not even entered the church before they started shooting. Three people were hit by bullets, while they abducted 18 others and took them into the bush.

### Kola's Life Before He Was Killed

What was your relationship with Kola Aina? He was like a grandson to me and my family. I regarded him as my last-born. He was the only one living with me. Despite being just 14 years old, there was no meal he could not prepare. He was always helping me around the house. He was preparing to write his Junior WAEC examination. I completely lost myself when I heard what happened. I was later told that I fainted. When I regained consciousness, I saw people gathered around me and noticed that water had been poured on the floor inside the house. That was when they told me I had fainted. He was a boy I loved dearly, and my children loved him too because they saw him as their youngest brother. Why did he choose to live with you and the Olowa of Owa-Ode, Oba Ademola Daramola (now late), instead of with his parents? One day, several years ago, before my husband became king, I saw him hawking puff-puff barefoot. I was outside the palace when I noticed him and called him over. I asked why he was hawking without shoes and whether his mother had sent him out like that. He told me it was not his mother but someone else in the area, who had sent him. I immediately took him to where shoes were sold, bought him a pair, and left. From that day, he began telling his mother that he wanted to stay with us. Eventually, he ran to the palace, knelt before the king and cried, insisting that he wanted to live with us. The king asked him to bring his mother. His mother later told us that since the day I bought him the shoes, he had been saying he wanted to stay with us. Before my husband became king, we had always been involved in philanthropy while living in Lagos, so it was not difficult for us to take him in and support him. When he came to live with us, we bought everything he needed for school: clothes, shoes, bags and other essentials. We accepted him as our own child. He was still in primary school then and had remained with us ever since. His mother appreciated what we did and would sometimes come to help around the house. He was still in primary school then and had remained with us ever since. His mother appreciated what we did and would sometimes come to help around the house.

### Bandits' Ransom Demand

What was his mother's reaction to the incident? I was afraid when they told me she was coming because I didn’t know how she would react. It was a devastating loss for everyone. But when she arrived, she spoke calmly. She said it pained her that despite the care we gave him, we were unable to enjoy the fruit of our labour. She also said that if she had known about the anniversary programme on Sunday, she would have attended, and if the bandits had come that day, she too might have been among the victims.

### What's Next?

If the bandits had attacked on Sunday instead, I might also have been a victim because I never miss church programmes. I always attend services on Wednesdays and Sundays. Are you saying they did not have a vigil that night? There was no special vigil. The children were simply excited because those participating in a drama presentation on Sunday wanted to rehearse that night. He was also scheduled to recite a poem during the programme, and their Sunday school teacher had asked all the children to come so they could practise before the main event.

### Kola's Future Plans

What was his future ambition? He wanted to learn two vocational skills, aluminium door fabrication and POP (Plaster of Paris) installation. I once asked him why he did not dream of becoming a lawyer. He replied that not every graduate was able to find a job. He said he preferred to learn a skill so he could always have something to do.