Following his kidnapping from his residence in Odo-Ape, which is situated in the Kabba-Bunu local government area of Kogi State, a few weeks ago, former Army Major Joe Ajayi reportedly passed away while in captivity.
After his family paid a ₦10 million ransom to free him, Ajayi’s lifeless body was reportedly shown to them.
At about 11:30 PM on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, armed attackers who opened fire randomly seized Major Ajayi from his home.
It has been reported that the kidnappers’ first demand of ₦50 million in ransom remained unmet for a considerable amount of time, causing his condition to deteriorate as he was unable to obtain the necessary medication.
Additionally, the family complained that the kidnappers told them that they would have to pay extra to have his medication transported to him, which was a concession they were unable to make.
But when the kidnappers saw how serious Ajayi’s situation was, they reduced the demand to ₦10 million naira.
The Ajayi family quickly agreed to pay the reduced sum of ten million naira for his release, believing him to be still alive, according to a community source.
“After the ransom was paid, the kidnappers led the family to the location where they would discover him, only to confront his (Ajayi’s) corpse,” Vanguard cited a community source as saying.
The deceased army officer’s remains have been interred at Kabba Specialist Hospital’s mortuary.
According to reports, kidnapping has been increasing in the state for a while. One instance of this was the early May kidnapping of Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the Oba Okoloke in the Yagba West Local Government Area, a well-known monarch.
They haven’t freed him yet.
Although efforts to eradicate criminal elements from the state are already yielding encouraging results, Usman Ododo, the state governor, urged citizens to maintain their composure during the final Sallah in Okene, speaking to the public at the Eid site.
Older Formerly, Joe Ajayi, now 76, was the Chairman of the Kabba/Bunu Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
