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The family of Abiodun Abdulazeez, a 57-year-old farmer, is seeking justice after his lifeless body was discovered in his cocoa farm in Owa-Onire, Kwara State. His daughter, Rofiat, described the agonizing experience of searching for her father and receiving his corpse instead of a ransom demand.

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That morning is one I will never forget. Around 7 am, my father got ready for the farm. Before leaving, he drank pap.. He told us he was going to his cocoa farm in Owa-Onire to plant cocoa. He also assured us that he would not spend much time there and promised he would return early.

Abiodun left his home in Isalu on the morning of July 11, heading to his cocoa farm in Owa-Onire, a two-hour journey away. He assured his family he would return early, but by noon, concern grew as he hadn't come back. His brother, who farms nearby, went to check on him and found only his motorcycle at the farm. This discovery alerted the family and community, who then launched a search.

Rofiat stated that her father had farmed the land for about 25 years and was deeply familiar with it. While he never expressed specific fears about going to the farm, the area had experienced periods of severe insecurity due to bandit attacks, which had previously caused farmers to stay away for months. Last year, some individuals cut down trees on his farm without permission, a matter he reported to the traditional ruler for peaceful resolution.

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No, he never specifically complained about being afraid to go there. However, there were periods when insecurity became very serious around that area because of bandit attacks. Whenever that happened, farmers usually stopped going to their farms.

Despite these past incidents, Abiodun did not anticipate such a tragic fate. The community rallied around the family, offering sympathy and prayers for his safe return. However, their hopes were shattered when his body was found, turning their desperate search into a plea for justice.

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When he arrived, he saw only my father’s motorcycle. The motorcycle was there, but my father was nowhere to be found. He immediately came back to alert the rest of the family.