Ilorin East Chairman Garba Olayinka Agbelere says councils sometimes provide money to help families secure abductees’ release, but keeps such payments private. His account raises questions about public spending, official policy and oversight—while he denies discussing a reported ₦50 million demand with the family of four people abducted in Abangbe Village.
By A1NEWS International
ILORIN, Nigeria — November 7, 2026
The chairman of Ilorin East Local Government Area in Kwara State has said local governments sometimes contribute money towards ransom payments for kidnapped people, but do so quietly because, in his words, it is “not good” for the public to know.
Mallam Garba Olayinka Lukman Agbelere made the remarks during a telephone conversation with SaharaReporters on Friday, responding to the family’s allegation that he advised them to raise a ₦50 million ransom for four relatives abducted in Abangbe Village.
Agbelere denied discussing the ransom with the family during a visit to the community and said he did not know how much the kidnappers were demanding. But he acknowledged that he intended to send a ward chairman to offer the family financial assistance and said councils could contribute towards ransom payments.
The contrast between his denial of a specific ransom discussion and his broader admission of local-government contributions leaves unanswered questions about whether public money is being used for such payments, who authorises them and how they are recorded.
Four people reportedly abducted in Abangbe
The victims—identified as Abike, Semiu, Sofiat and Ramadan—were reportedly kidnapped by suspected bandits on October 25 in Abangbe Village, near Oke-Oyi, in Ilorin East Local Government Area.
The family told SaharaReporters that a representative went to the local government secretariat seeking intervention and financial support. According to the family’s account, the representative was advised to find a way to pay the ransom because the government could not defeat the bandits at that time.
Agbelere disputed that account as it related to his own conversation with the family. He said he was away when the attack happened, sent a representative to offer condolences and later visited the community with Commissioner Ali Jimoh. He said residents appealed for better security and did not raise the ransom demand with him.
The supplied account does not establish whether the four victims have been released, whether the ransom was paid or whether security agencies have made arrests.
Chairman says councils contribute, but not publicly
In describing the local government’s practice, Agbelere said councils could help families meet ransom demands but could not pay the full amount.
“We can’t pay all the ransom; we can only contribute,” he said, adding that such assistance was provided quietly and that he would not disclose how much had been paid.
He also said he had advised residents to remain vigilant and take steps to protect their communities, arguing that government could not be everywhere at once. He cited his own community’s contributions towards buying guns as an example of local self-protection.
The remarks raise a separate accountability issue: if public funds are used to support ransom payments, it is unclear from the chairman’s account what budget line, approval process or documentation governs that spending. The statement did not identify any specific payment made to the Abangbe family.
Ransom-law claim requires qualification
The material provided with the allegation says ransom payments are criminalised under Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, with a minimum 15-year prison term. That claim needs qualification.
The 15-year wording appeared in a proposed amendment that received Senate approval during the legislative process. However, the published text of the enacted 2022 Act lists Section 14 as concerning the harbouring of terrorists or hindering their arrest; it does not set out that blanket ransom-payment offence in that section. The Act published by Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre is the relevant text for assessing what became law.
The legal position should therefore not be reduced to the claim that the enacted Act automatically makes every ransom payment punishable by a 15-year minimum sentence. Any assessment of a particular payment would require examination of the applicable law and circumstances by qualified legal authorities.
Security advice and state responsibility
Agbelere’s comments also highlight the burden placed on families and communities facing abduction. He said residents should take protective steps because government could not provide security everywhere. But the remarks do not explain what specific security measures the council or state authorities have taken in response to the Abangbe attack, or what assistance has been offered to the victims’ relatives beyond the proposed financial contribution.
As of the time of the original report, the family was appealing to government and security agencies to intervene and secure the victims’ release. The material available for this story does not include a response from the victims’ family to Agbelere’s denial, a statement from the Kwara State Government or details from security agencies about their response.
Agbelere’s admission that local governments sometimes contribute towards ransom payments brings an usually undisclosed practice into public view, but it does not establish that Ilorin East funds were used in this case. The immediate questions are whether the Abangbe victims remain in captivity, what assistance their family has received, and whether any public contribution was authorised and documented. Answers from the council, state government and security agencies are needed to clarify both the victims’ situation and the accountability framework for any public funds used.
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