In a stark account that underscores the persistent insecurity in rural Nigeria, Omogbolahan Emmanuel Olaniyi, a farm manager from Ekiti State, has described how he was kidnapped and held for more than a month. Olaniyi, who identified himself online, detailed the ordeal in a personal post that quickly drew public attention and renewed concern over widespread abductions across the country.
Olaniyi explained that he was seized on October 23, 2025 while working on a farm near the Kogi State boundary. He said he was taken deep into the wilderness and held for forty two days. His family paid seventeen million naira to secure his release, yet the captors refused to free him. He eventually escaped with several other men who had been detained with him.
He noted that his family is still struggling with the debt from the ransom payment. He also shared photographs showing himself looking weakened after the ordeal, along with a brief lament about the state of security in Nigeria.
Earlier reports had indicated that he and a colleague named Kazeem were abducted together. Family members previously said the abductors, believed to be armed herdsmen, demanded fifteen million naira plus food, drinks, recharge cards and a mobile phone. The ransom was reportedly delivered in Egbe in Kogi State on October 30, 2025. Despite this, Olaniyi was not released and Kazeem was killed soon after.
By mid November 2025 the kidnappers had raised their demands and threatened to kill Olaniyi unless they received an additional fifty five million naira within twenty four hours. His family appealed to the Ekiti State government for help, though no immediate intervention was documented at the time.
Olaniyi’s escape is one of the few positive outcomes in a region that has experienced a rising wave of kidnappings. Security analysts note that farmers and rural workers in Ekiti and surrounding states remain especially vulnerable due to the activities of armed groups operating across state borders. Many residents have abandoned farmlands because of fear.
His account has sparked sympathy and anger online, with many calling for stronger responses to insecurity. Local authorities have not yet issued public statements on his escape or the status of any investigation.
Olaniyi’s experience illustrates the heavy financial and emotional toll borne by victims and their families long after such incidents end. Nigeria’s current economic pressures only deepen the impact of these crises.
Original personal statement: I was kidnapped last Oct 23 at a farm where I work as a farm manager in Ekiti State close to Kogi State boundary. I was in the wilderness for forty two days after paying seventeen million. I was not released until I escaped with some other men. We are still in serious debt. Nigeria is not a country.
