Family attacked over failure to offset N23.5 million loan, as guarantor dies

A family in Ogun State has suffered a series of violent attacks allegedly  carried out by officials of a cooperative society over their failure to repay a N23.5 million loan obtained for their son’s overseas education.

The Adenekan family reportedly borrowed the money in 2022 to enable their son, Samuel, travel to the United Kingdom for academic pursuits. However, the debt has remained unpaid, sparking a string of retaliatory assaults by individuals believed to be affiliated with the lending cooperative.

According to sources, the chairman of the cooperative society, Alhaji Ojunji Iyajun, reportedly issued a directive to recover all outstanding loans. Following the order, officials of the cooperative stormed the Adenekans’ residence, where they allegedly launched a brutal attack on family members after a brief confrontation.

It was further gathered that the family had previously endured several attacks throughout 2023 by unidentified individuals, which were believed to be linked to their ongoing struggle to repay both the principal and interest on the loan.

The situation escalated when one of the loan guarantors, who is also an in-law to the Adenekans, was assaulted during one of the attacks. He later died from injuries sustained in the beating.

In February 2025, the family’s home was burgled, with valuables worth millions of naira reported stolen. These incidents were followed by a wave of death threats allegedly aimed at Samuel and his wife, Praise, with the assailants vowing to kill them if spotted.

Speaking from an undisclosed location, Mr Adenekan, the patriarch of the family, described their current situation as one of fear and hopelessness.

“We have been living in fear since this all began. I am in hiding because I don’t know what those men are capable of. We’ve received countless death threats. The attacks keep coming. The money we borrowed was strictly for my son’s education abroad. We didn’t misuse it. Please, we need help,” he pleaded.

As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the cooperative society’s leadership for comments were unsuccessful.

The repeated attacks and threats raise serious concerns about the use of violence in debt recovery and the apparent absence of intervention by law enforcement authorities. The Adenekan family’s ordeal continues to spark outrage and calls for justice.