The Otun Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Lekan Balogun, yesterday pleaded with the kidnappers of his twin children to release them.
He appealed to them to bear with him as he does not have the N100 million ransom (later reduced to N40m) being demanded.
Oba Balogun said he was able to offer them N5 million which was rejected.
“The kidnappers should please bear with me and return my kids, I am ready to do anything that will make them happy,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“I don’t want to endanger the life of my kids and I am not out to fight them because there is no reason for that,” Balogun said. Gunmen on Thursday, kidnapped the five-year-old twins of Balogun from his Akobo residence in Ibadan.
The mother of the kids was said to have been hospitalised since she received the news of the kidnap with doctors battling to save her life.
The Oyo Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the Oyo State Police Command was doing everything possible to rescue the kidnapped children unhurt and arrest the culprits.
“The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, has consequently directed the command’s anti-kidnapping squad and other special outfits to organise a manhunt for the suspects and rescue the victims safely.
“We assure the parents and the public that we will succeed in this task,” Ajisebutu said.