Insecurity: How Adelabu’s Sister, Twin Sons Were Rescued; Police Arrest Four Suspects
Insecurity: How Adelabu’s Sister, Twin Sons Were Rescued; Police Arrest Four Suspects
By Idun Maximus
Fresh details on the successful rescue of Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons, Peter and Paul have emerged.
The Police authorities have disclosed that four suspected members and collaborators of the kidnapping syndicate have been arrested while two others were killed during a gun battle with security operatives.
The Oyo State Police Command at a press briefing on Sunday, said the rescue operation was jointly executed by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), the Oyo State Police Command and other tactical units of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the police, the operation followed a distress report received on June 3, 2026, regarding the abduction of Mrs. Adegoke and her twin sons at Elewura Street, off Ring Road, Ibadan.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped by four armed men operating in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota vehicle while the mother was taking the children to school.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, acting on the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, ordered an immediate intelligence-led manhunt for the perpetrators.
Police said surveillance and intelligence gathering led to the arrest of a suspected kidnapper identified as Wale Abolalewa, popularly known as “Oloro,” who had been on the Command’s watch-list for related criminal activities. His arrest, investigators said, opened up critical leads that exposed the wider network of the kidnapping syndicate.
Further interrogation and intelligence exploitation led to the arrest of another suspect, Dare Oyedele, also known as “Solution,” who was identified as a key operational figure within the gang.
AbeyaNews gathered that the syndicate had allegedly attempted to recruit an insider within the victim’s household in May 2026 through a staff member identified as Segun.
According to the police, the gang conducted extensive surveillance on the family, gathering information on their daily routines, movements, vehicles and the schools attended by the children before carrying out the abduction.
“A detailed analysis of their digital footprints uncovered a structured surveillance operation, including photographs of the victim’s vehicles, school environment, daily routines and lifestyle patterns, all used to profile and track the family prior to the attack,” the Command stated.
Armed with the intelligence gathered during the investigation, security operatives traced the kidnappers to a hideout in the Lado community of Ayegun, Ibadan.
On June 6 at about 7:30 p.m., operatives stormed the hideout in a coordinated rescue operation aimed at securing the victims alive.
However, upon sighting the advancing police team, one of the suspects identified as Kelechi, said to have travelled from Lagos State and stationed as a lookout, allegedly opened fire on the operatives.
The police said officers responded with superior firepower, resulting in the death of Kelechi and another yet-to-be-identified gang member.
Following the operation, Mrs. Adegoke and her twin sons were rescued unharmed and placed in protective custody before being reunited with their family.
The police also arrested two additional suspects identified as Semiu Ishola, 39, and Adeyemi Ayobami, 35, who were allegedly involved in facilitating the use of the criminal hideout.
According to the Command, all four suspects currently in custody are assisting investigators as efforts continue to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.
Items recovered during the operation include three pump-action guns, 14 live cartridges, the ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly used for the abduction, two face masks, a battle axe, a hammer, substances suspected to be hard drugs and charms believed to have been used by the gang.
The Command said investigations remain ongoing and disclosed that some fleeing suspects may have escaped with gunshot wounds sustained during the confrontation with security operatives.
It appealed to medical practitioners, private hospitals, traditional bone setters and other healthcare providers to promptly report anyone presenting suspicious gunshot injuries or unusual medical conditions to the nearest security agency.
The Oyo State Police Command also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information that could assist law enforcement agencies in preventing crime and apprehending criminal elements.
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting lives and property, the Command assured residents that all those connected with the kidnapping would be tracked down and brought to justice.
