Tragedy in Kogi: Retired Army Major Joseph Ajayi Dies in Kidnappers’ Den Despite ₦10M Ransom
Odo Ape community in Kabba Bunu LGA, Kogi State, has been thrown into deep mourning following the tragic death of one of its respected leaders, Retired Army Major Joseph Ajayi, who died in captivity after being kidnapped from his home on May 21, 2025.
Major Ajayi, a 76-year-old former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the area, was abducted by heavily armed gunmen who stormed his residence at around 11:30 p.m., firing sporadically. Initially, the abductors demanded ₦50 million for his release—a sum the family struggled to raise.
His health reportedly began to fail in captivity due to lack of medication. The kidnappers refused to accept the delivery of his medicine unless an additional fee was paid—another unbearable demand for the family.
Eventually, the ransom was reduced to ₦10 million, and the family managed to negotiate and pay ₦3 million, believing he was still alive. But in a heartbreaking twist, they were directed to a location only to find his lifeless body.
His remains have been deposited at Kabba Specialist Hospital mortuary.
Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has appealed for calm, assuring that efforts to eliminate criminal elements from the state are ongoing. Meanwhile, Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West, described Ajayi’s death as one too many, lamenting the state of insecurity in the district and calling for urgent, collective security action.
Senator Karimi also revealed plans to organize interfaith fasting and prayers, calling on both Christian and Muslim leaders to spiritually combat the growing threat of kidnapping in the region.
“The time has come to go spiritual in fighting these miscreants,” he said. “We are no longer safe.”
The entire region continues to reel from the wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, a first-class monarch in Yagba West, who remains in captivity weeks after his abduction.
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