Twins children of Islamic cleric kidnapped in Ibadan

By OLUSEYE OJO, Ibadan

Twins of a mother who suffered delayed childbirth for 12 years have been kidnapped in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, at about 8 pm on Saturday, April 25th.

The abducted twins, a boy and a girl, aged two years and four months, are the children of the immediate past Chairman of the Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing) and a popular Islamic cleric, Alhaji Taofeek Akeugbagold, who has appealed to the abductors not to hurt his twins.

According to him, “What a country! My twin children were kidnapped at gunpoint at my Ojoo residence, Ibadan, around 8 pm on Saturday,” adding that the twins were kidnapped 10 minutes after he left his house for a studio to record some lectures.

“Everybody should, please, for Allah’s sake, assist me in prayer and I am begging the abductors to please be merciful with me, especially their mother who was barren for 12 years before giving birth to them. I am begging, not flexing anything.”

Akeugbagold's twins from wife who suffered delayed childbirth for 12 years kidnapped in Ibadan

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer for Oyo State, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, has confirmed the abduction of the twins on Saturday, saying four suspects have been arrested in connection with the abduction.

“Yes, there was an abduction of Akewugbagold’s twins yesterday (Saturday) night. Efforts intensified, arrests were made and currently, the suspects are assisting the police in investigations. Four suspects have been arrested,” Fadeyi stated.

Daily Sun investigation into how the twins were kidnapped and the four suspects that have been arrested revealed that the suspects comprised Akeugbagold’s driver and gatekeeper as well as two followers of Akeugbagold, who have been identified as sermon interpreters, known as ‘Ajanasi or Arowaasi’ in the Yoruba language.

As gathered, Akeugbagold left his house at Ojoo for a studio to record some lectures and when he got to Sasa, he received a call from his wife, the mother of the twins, informing him that armed robbers came to their house and that she managed to call him from an upstairs room.

Her husband was said to have asked for the whereabouts of the twins, the woman rushed downstairs and discovered that the twins were nowhere to be found. When she stepped outside, she saw that the gate of the house was wide open and later discovered that the intruders actually drove into the compound.

The gatekeeper was said to have been arrested based on allegations that he did not wait for the night guard to resume before he left and probably left the pedestrian gate open. The intruders were said to have probably gained entrance into the compound through the pedestrian gate and later opened the big gate and drove into the compound.

As gathered, Akeugbagold’s driver is the one that has always been conveying the gatekeeper with a vehicle from the house whenever he goes home. (Sunday Sun)