According to reports, Joe Ajayi, a retired Army Major, died in captivity after being kidnapped a few weeks ago from his home in Odo-Ape, which is in the Kabba-Bunu local government area of Kogi State.
According to reports, Ajayi’s family was shown his lifeless body after they had paid ₦10 million in ransom to get him freed.
On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at around 11:30 PM, armed attackers who opened fire randomly seized Major Ajayi from his home.
According to reports, the kidnappers’ first demand of ₦50 million in ransom remained unmet for a long time since the family was unable to pay; as a result, his health deteriorated because he was unable to obtain the medication he needed.
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According to reports, the family was informed by the kidnappers that they would have to pay extra to have his medication supplied to him, which was a concession they were unable to make.
However, the abductors reduced the demand to ₦10 million naira after realizing how serious Ajayi’s condition was.
According to a community source, the Ajayi family quickly agreed to pay the discounted sum of ten million naira for his release since they believed he was still alive.
Vanguard cited a community source as saying, “After the ransom was paid, the kidnappers led the family to where they would find him, only for them to meet his (Ajayi’s) lifeless body.”
The retired army officer’s remains are now in Kabba Specialist Hospital’s mortuary.
A well-known monarch, Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the Oba Okoloke in the Yagba West Local Government Area, was kidnapped from his home in early May, highlighting reports that kidnapping has been increasing in the state for some time.
He hasn’t been set free yet.
However, during the final Sallah in Okene, state governor Usman Ododo spoke to the populace at the Eid venue and urged them to maintain their composure because efforts to eradicate criminal elements from the state are already yielding encouraging results.
retired The 76-year-old Joe Ajayi was the previous chairman of the Kabba/Bunu Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
