High-Profile Kidnap Solved: Oyo Police Arrest Four, Rescue Adelabu's Sister and Twin Sons in Ibadan

The Oyo State Police Command has successfully rescued Mrs. Busayo John-Paul, younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, following their abduction. The rescue operation, which occurred on June 6, also led to the arrest of four suspects connected to the incident. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed these developments during an inspection of the kidnappers’ hideout.

Mrs. John-Paul and her children were abducted in Ibadan on June 3, at approximately 7:30 a.m. She was reportedly driving her children to school along Elewura Street, off Ring Road, Ibadan, when the incident occurred. Following the report, the Commissioner of Police launched an intelligence-led manhunt, acting on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police. This involved the deployment of specialized tactical and intelligence teams, including operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), the Oyo State Police Command, and other units of the Nigeria Police Force.

Police investigations revealed that the kidnappers had allegedly monitored the family’s activities for weeks prior to the abduction and had even attempted to recruit an insider connected to the household. Intelligence gathered from the arrested suspects and crucial digital evidence guided operatives to the gang’s hideout located at Araromi Quarters, Ayegun North, in Oluyole Local Government Area.

On June 6, during a coordinated rescue mission, security operatives raided the hideout. Upon sighting the police team, one of the gang members, identified as Kelechi, who was serving as a lookout, opened fire. Police operatives responded professionally, successfully neutralizing Kelechi and another unidentified member of the syndicate. During the confrontation, two suspected kidnappers were fatally wounded, and the victims were rescued unharmed and safely reunited with their family.

The operation led to the initial arrest of Wale Abolalewa, popularly known as “Oloro,” who was already on the Command’s watchlist. His arrest exposed a wider kidnapping network. Further investigations resulted in the arrest of Dare Oyedele, alias “Solution,” another identified member of the gang. Additionally, two more suspects, Semiu Ishola, 39, and Adeyemi Ayobami, 35, were apprehended for allegedly providing the hideout and supporting the gang's criminal activities.

Items recovered from the suspects and the hideout included three pump-action rifles, 14 live cartridges, an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla believed to have been used during the abduction, criminal charms, a battle axe, a hammer, substances suspected to be hard drugs, and two face masks. Two additional rifles were also recovered from the fatally wounded suspects.

Police noted that some gang members managed to escape during the operation and may have sustained gunshot injuries. Commissioner Olugbenga appealed to residents, hospitals, healthcare workers, and traditional bone setters to report anyone seeking treatment for suspicious gunshot wounds. He emphasized the importance of public vigilance and security consciousness, urging residents to report suspicious persons, strange movements, and unusual activities, as public information remains critical for crime prevention and successful law enforcement.

The Commissioner of Police commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, for his unwavering support and also thanked the Oyo State Government for its collaboration with security agencies. He assured residents that the Command would intensify efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects and ensure that all individuals involved in the abduction are prosecuted to the full extent of the law, reaffirming the commitment to combating violent crime and ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state.