Gunmen have abducted Mrs. Ibukun Otesile, the 2025 President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Ibadan Elite, in front of her residence at the General Gas area of Akobo, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Otesile, a mother of two, is the daughter of Reverend Dr. Olalekan Babatunde, Founder and General Overseer of Jesus Is King Ministries, Ibadan. News of her abduction spread across social media on Friday, hours after the incident occurred.
Confirming the development, Olamide Olanrewaju, Personal Assistant to Apostle Joshua Sola Akinyemiju, outgoing Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Oyo State chapter, said the association received a distress alert at about 8:45 p.m. on Thursday.
“We all have a WhatsApp group, which her father is also a member of. The CAN Chairman posted it as a distress call, saying the daughter of Reverend (Dr.) Lekan Babatunde had been kidnapped,” he said.
Olanrewaju noted that while group members immediately resorted to prayers, he emphasized the need for prompt action and tagged key security contacts— including Rev. Moses, Chaplain of the Police Force Headquarters in Oyo State—before sharing the alert widely.
“I learned she was kidnapped right at the gate of her house at General Gas. Only God knows what she was doing there, where she went, or who she was with,” he added.
The alert issued by CAN read: “The daughter of our beloved Reverend Dr. Lekan Babatunde was kidnapped this night, Thursday, December 4, around 8:00 p.m. Ibukun Otesile, a mother of two, was kidnapped in front of her gate at General Gas, Akobo.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Oyo State Command, Adewale Osifeso, also confirmed the abduction, stating: “She was kidnapped on Thursday night. Investigation is ongoing.”
Meanwhile, CAN has appealed to security agencies for urgent intervention, calling on the Nigerian Army Headquarters and the Nigeria Police Force to deploy all necessary resources to secure Otesile’s immediate release.
A concerned Ibadan resident urged the public to provide any useful information that could aid security agencies, noting that the Oyo State Police Command in Eleyele is already on the case. As of the time of this report, no details have emerged regarding the identity of the abductors or any ransom demands.
