The 2025 President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Ibadan Elite, Mrs. Ibukun Otesile, has been kidnapped outside her home on Thursday evening in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Otesile is the daughter of Olalekan Babatunde, the founder and General Overseer of Jesus Is King Ministries, Ibadan. She is the mother of two children.

The news of the abduction was shared on many social media platforms.

Olamide Olanrewaju, the Personal Assistant to Apostle Joshua Sola Akinyemiju, the outgoing chairman of the Oyo State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the incident to journalists on Friday.

Olanrewaju stated that Otesile was kidnapped in front of her home at General Gas, within the Akobo area of the state around 8 pm on Thursday, but CAN was alerted to it around 8:45 pm.

“We all have a WhatsApp group, which the father is also a member of. So, the CAN Chairman posted it as a distress call, saying that the daughter of Reverend and Dr. Lekan Babatunde had been kidnapped,” Olanrewaju said.

“You know, everyone in the group became worried and started saying, ‘Prayer, prayer, prayer.’ Religious leaders and everyone else were praying.

“I said prayer is good, but we also need to do the right thing. On the same group, I tagged Rev Moses, the Chaplain of the Police Force Headquarters in Oyo State, before putting out the alert.

“I learned she was kidnapped at the gate in front of her house at General Gas. Only God knows what she was doing there, where she went, or who she was with.

“The daughter of our beloved Reverend Dr. Lekan Babatunde was kidnapped this night, Thursday, December 4, around 8:00 pm. Ibukun Otesile, the mother of two, was kidnapped in front of her gate at General Gas, Akobo,” the alert CAN shared on its page reads.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Oyo State Command, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident.

Osifeso said: “She was kidnapped on Thursday night. Investigation is ongoing.”

Meanwhile, CAN has pleaded with the Nigerian Army Headquarters and the Nigeria Police Force to mobilise every resource to secure her immediate release.

Also, a concerned resident of Ibadan said: “The family, along with CAN and all well-meaning Nigerians, earnestly requests that information about her whereabouts be shared far and wide and relayed to the appropriate security authorities.

“The Oyo State Police Command in Eleyele has been alerted and is actively involved, but as of this report, there are no further details about the attackers or any demands.” (The Guardian, but headline rejigged)

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