How Kidnapped Toddler was Rescued in Abeokuta
Oluwabunmi Ajelero
Twenty-four hours after she was kidnapped from her parent's church in Lagos, three-year-old Oluwabunmi Ajelero was rescued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, and has since been reunited with her family.
This is just as another teenager, one David Olupitan, who was kidnapped from his parents’ residence at Mile 2 Estate area of Lagos, on Monday night, was found yesterday evening.
THISDAY had on Monday reported that Oluwabunmi was abducted from a Baptist Church in Ojuelegba area, Surulere, Lagos by two men who had fled on a commercial motorcycle.
The family had reported the incident at Area C Police Command after the kidnappers had requested an unspecified amount, running into millions of naira and investigations had begun immediately.
The Lagos State Police spokesperson, Kenneth Nwosu, had said the toddler was rescued based on the collaborative effort of all the police divisions involved in the rescue operation.
But in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, Oluwabunmi's uncle, Mr. Adeniran Adejuwon, gave clearer details of how the toddler was found and rescued.
He said: "My niece was abandoned in another church in Abeokuta, Ogun State. It turned out that the church was having a programme when they noticed her presence in the church.
"Initially, they thought she belonged to one of the church members, so they carried on with their programme. At the end of the programme, many people left and she was left behind.
"That was when they raised the alarm but nobody could identify her. It was a youth in the church, who had seen the viral message announcing her disappearance, that identified her.
"He googled the picture of the missing girl circulating on the Internet and compared it with the girl and it matched.
"They now took the girl to the police station in Abeokuta. It was the police who now called my brother informing him that they had his daughter in custody.
"They asked him some questions like the kind of clothes Oluwabunmi was putting on, her complexion and her other physical features. It was then they invited him to Abeokuta.
"When he arrived Abeokuta, they subjected him to another round of tests but what clinched it was when they brought her out and she shouted daddy. They then released her to him."
On whether the family paid the ransom the kidnappers had demanded, he replied no.
As at press time, it was yet uncertain what prompted the kidnappers to release her, given that the Ajelero family were yet to raise the ransom they had demanded.
Meanwhile, while the Ajelero family was still jubilating following the miraculous release of their daughter, members of the Olupitan family were in tears over the abduction of their son.
The first inkling anyone had about the kidnap was a tweet from one Daramola Otolarin, a family friend, who tweeted that the teenager was abducted by unknown persons.
Tweeting from @Otolowaka he wrote: "David Olupitan was abducted yesternite at his residence Mile2 Estate, any information about him pls call 08023196406."
However, late in the evening, he announced the homecoming of the teenager.
He wrote: "Thank God for my bro Fola Olupitan and wife. Their son David Toluwalase Olupitan walked back home safely frm Mushin to Mile 2. He is seating with his mum right now."
He however did not give details of what transpired between the time he was kidnapped and when he walked home unharmed.
THISDAY had on Monday reported that Oluwabunmi was abducted from a Baptist Church in Ojuelegba area, Surulere, Lagos by two men who had fled on a commercial motorcycle.
The family had reported the incident at Area C Police Command after the kidnappers had requested an unspecified amount, running into millions of naira and investigations had begun immediately.
The Lagos State Police spokesperson, Kenneth Nwosu, had said the toddler was rescued based on the collaborative effort of all the police divisions involved in the rescue operation.
But in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, Oluwabunmi's uncle, Mr. Adeniran Adejuwon, gave clearer details of how the toddler was found and rescued.
He said: "My niece was abandoned in another church in Abeokuta, Ogun State. It turned out that the church was having a programme when they noticed her presence in the church.
"Initially, they thought she belonged to one of the church members, so they carried on with their programme. At the end of the programme, many people left and she was left behind.
"That was when they raised the alarm but nobody could identify her. It was a youth in the church, who had seen the viral message announcing her disappearance, that identified her.
"He googled the picture of the missing girl circulating on the Internet and compared it with the girl and it matched.
"They now took the girl to the police station in Abeokuta. It was the police who now called my brother informing him that they had his daughter in custody.
"They asked him some questions like the kind of clothes Oluwabunmi was putting on, her complexion and her other physical features. It was then they invited him to Abeokuta.
"When he arrived Abeokuta, they subjected him to another round of tests but what clinched it was when they brought her out and she shouted daddy. They then released her to him."
On whether the family paid the ransom the kidnappers had demanded, he replied no.
As at press time, it was yet uncertain what prompted the kidnappers to release her, given that the Ajelero family were yet to raise the ransom they had demanded.
Meanwhile, while the Ajelero family was still jubilating following the miraculous release of their daughter, members of the Olupitan family were in tears over the abduction of their son.
The first inkling anyone had about the kidnap was a tweet from one Daramola Otolarin, a family friend, who tweeted that the teenager was abducted by unknown persons.
Tweeting from @Otolowaka he wrote: "David Olupitan was abducted yesternite at his residence Mile2 Estate, any information about him pls call 08023196406."
However, late in the evening, he announced the homecoming of the teenager.
He wrote: "Thank God for my bro Fola Olupitan and wife. Their son David Toluwalase Olupitan walked back home safely frm Mushin to Mile 2. He is seating with his mum right now."
He however did not give details of what transpired between the time he was kidnapped and when he walked home unharmed.
Source: Thisday
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