Retired Army Major Joe Ajayi Found Dead in Kidnappers’ Den After ₦10 Million Ransom Payment

A retired Kogi State Army Major Joe Ajayi, who was abducted from his residence in Odo-Ape, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, has been confirmed dead in the hands of his abductors despite the payment of a ₦10 million ransom.

According to VANGUARD report, Major Ajayi, aged 76, was kidnapped around 11:30 p.m. by gunmen who invaded his home and shot sporadically before taking him away. Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₦50 million, a sum the family struggled to raise. During the prolonged negotiation, Ajayi’s health began to deteriorate as he lacked access to his vital medication.

Sources close to the family, disclosed that the abductors refused to allow medication to be sent to him unless an additional payment was made. “Their plea for his medication to be forwarded to him came at an extra cost, a concession that couldn’t be met by the family,” a source stated.

As his condition worsened, the kidnappers reportedly reduced their demand to ₦10 million. Believing he was still alive, the family quickly mobilized and paid the revised ransom.

“Once the ransom was paid, the kidnappers directed the family to where they would find him, only for them to meet his (Ajayi’s) lifeless body,” a community source painfully revealed.

His remains have since been deposited at the Kabba Specialist Hospital mortuary.

Retired Major Ajayi was also a respected religious leader, having served as Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kabba/Bunu Chapter.

This incident adds to the growing concerns over insecurity in Kogi State. In early May, Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the first-class monarch of Okoloke in Yagba West LGA, was similarly abducted from his residence and remains in captivity.