Family in Panic as Journalist is Kidnapped in Ogun State

Unidentified individuals have reportedly kidnapped journalist and human rights activist Oluwatosin Oshibanjo in Ogun State.

Oshibanjo was abducted from his home in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

His mother, Tokunbo Bakre, revealed that the abduction followed Tosin’s involvement in a human rights case concerning a woman and a pastor.

Bakre explained to Punch that the woman had accused the pastor of impregnating her and coercing her into multiple abortions, with the last attempt being unsuccessful.

The woman claimed to have given birth to a child that she alleged was the pastor’s, a claim he denied.

Bakre further shared that Tosin had reported on the dispute between the woman and the pastor and had sought a response from the pastor.

She recounted that she learned of her son’s abduction when men approached him while he was on a phone call with his wife and took him to an unknown location.

“My son had intervened in an issue involving a lady and one pastor who also claimed to be a doctor. The lady said the pastor impregnated her several times and forced her to have abortions. She said she refused to abort the last pregnancy she had with the pastor which had created issues between her and him,” she explained.

“My son published the incident on his platform. To my surprise, I was informed  that some persons had kidnapped my son while he was on a telephone conversation with his wife and I suspect his abduction was because of the issue of the lady that he intervened in.”

She added that the incident has left the family in a state of panic, as their attempts to locate him have been unsuccessful, and his mobile phone has remained unreachable since the abduction.

“We have made several efforts to locate his whereabouts but he could not be reached. This has caused tension in the family because we don’t know the condition he is in at the moment and what the abductors could do to him.

“I am appealing to the authorities to help me locate and rescue my son,” Bakre said.

A senior police officer confirmed the abduction in a phone conversation with the publication on Wednesday.

“Yes, I am aware of the incident. It was reported to the police but I cannot speak further on it,” the police officer said.