The Ajeleros, who were reunited with their kidnapped daughter, Olubunmi, on Monday night, spoke yesterday on her safe return.
Mrs Toyin Ajelero, mother of the three-year-old girl, said the family did not pay a ransom for her.
Bunmi was kidnapped from the Surulere Baptist Church in Lagos on Sunday. She was released in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Monday night.
Mrs Ajelero said yesterday that Olubunmi is in good health.
“She has been playing around with her siblings, jumping up and down. You know how it is reuniting with your family members. She is extremely happy to see her daddy who she is very close to,” she said.
She thanked all for their support and prayers, especially members of Surulere Baptist Church.
“I can’t thank people enough, the leaders of Surulere Baptist Church for standing by us all through; they are all wonderful people,” she said.
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the girl was sighted in a church at Oke Sokori area of Abeokuta on Monday evening crying.
The villagers, who were attracted by her cry, he said, informed Adigbe Divisional Police Headquarters, Abeokuta, that rescued her.
The girl was first handed over to the Juvenile and Women Centre of the Police.
Adejobi confirmed that the kidnappers demanded N300, 000 ransom for the girl, promising to drop her where the parents could find her.
He said the girl was seen with a note bearing a Lagos pastor’s telephone number.
According to Adejobi, the phone number was dropped ostensibly to help locate her after the criminals’ transaction with her family but the rescue effort terminated that. He said no ransom was paid, adding that the command recently rescued three babies who were kidnapped in other states.
Adejobi said his Commissioner, Val Mtomchukwu, is planning to liaise with his counterpart in Lagos State on how to curb kidnapping.
There was jubilation at Surulere Baptist Church on Ojuelegba Road on Monday when Mr Ajelero in a stripe shirt and cream trousers emerged with his daughter.
He was accompanied by some church leaders, who accompanied him to Abeokuta where Olubunmi was found.
Their praise songs attracted passersby.
Mrs Ajelero could not control her emotion on sighting her daughter.
She carried and hugged her.
They went to the altar where special prayers were offered for the family.