Two suspected kidnappers caused pandemonium yesterday in Akobo, Ibadan home of Otun Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Lekan Balogun, when they stormed his house and abducted his five-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.
Details of how the incident occurred were sketchy last night.
TheNation newspaper reports efforts to get the monarch’s comment were fruitless, as he was said not to be available.
The mother of the children was said to be recovering from the shock at an unnamed hospital in Ibadan.
The kidnappers were said to have parked in a vehicle close to the victims’ residence and whisked away the children alongside their mother as they stepped out of the house.
However, at some point during their journey, the woman was pushed out of the vehicle.
Police spokesman Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the incident.
He said:
“We have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers. We will rescue the children.
“We received a report that two of the traditional ruler’s children were kidnapped in Akobo. The command is doing everything to rescue the children unhurt.
“We are aware of the incident. We hope to rescue the children as soon as possible.” Police Commissioner Abiodun Odude has ordered the Anti Kidnapping Squad to rescue the children.”
An unconfirmed report says the suspected kidnappers demanded N100 million ransom.
The kidnappers reportedly called Lekan Balogun, a former Senator, to demand for N100 million ransom.
Daily Sun gathered that the kidnappers, said to be two in number, came in a vehicle and parked very close to the victim’s residence before whisking away the children alongside their mother as they left the house.
The kidnappers reportedly pointed a gun at the hapless mother and her children and ordered them into their getaway vehicle.
They drove round the city for a while during which the handset found on the woman was seized, the SIM card was removed and the phone returned before the woman was pushed out of the vehicle at a yet to be disclosed place.
She was said to have trekked back home and made a call to her husband, who hurried home to get full details of the incident.
It was further gathered that, when the kidnappers finally put a call through to Oba Balogun, it was the SIM card removed from his wife’s phone that was used, making it difficult to track the hoodlums
