By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
A retired Nigerian Army officer, Major Joe Ajayi (rtd), has died in captivity after being abducted from his residence in Odo-Ape, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, despite his family paying a ransom of ten million naira for his release.
Ajayi, aged 76, was kidnapped on the night of Wednesday, May 21, 2025, by armed men who stormed his home around 11:30 pm, firing sporadically before whisking him away. Family sources said the abductors initially demanded a ransom of fifty million naira, but the amount was eventually negotiated down to ten million.
Sadly, the retired officer’s health deteriorated rapidly in captivity, and by the time the kidnappers accepted the reduced sum, he was already at death’s door. His body was later recovered by his family at a location disclosed by the abductors after the ransom had been paid.
“Our brother had been battling a health condition for years after his retirement from the army,” a family member who spoke on condition of anonymity said. “We pleaded with the kidnappers to allow us send him his medication, but they rejected the plea and said it would cost extra. When they realised he was dying, they hurriedly accepted the N10 million. By the time we got there, he was already dead.”
His remains have been deposited at a mortuary in Kabba, bringing a painful end to what the family described as a harrowing ordeal.
The tragic incident adds to a worrying surge in kidnapping cases across the western flank of Kogi State. In a related case, a 94-year-old traditional ruler, Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the Oba of Okoloke in Yagba West LGA, who was abducted weeks earlier in the same axis, remains in captivity as of the time of this report.
The death of Major Ajayi has reignited calls for improved security in rural communities, especially in Kogi State, where residents say they now live in constant fear.
“We are not safe anymore, even in our homes,” said a local resident in Odo-Ape. “If a retired military officer can be taken and not return alive after ransom was paid, what hope do ordinary people have?”