The Oyo State Police Command has alleged that a personal assistant attached to the family of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, supplied inside information that aided the abduction of Adelabu’s sister, Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, and her 12-year-old twin sons.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, while giving updates on the investigation into the kidnapping.
Mrs. John-Paul and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, were abducted on June 3, 2026, around the Elewura area of Ring Road, Ibadan, while she was taking the children to school.
They were later rescued during a police operation, which also led to the death of two suspected kidnappers.
According to Ayanlade, the operation was carried out on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police and coordinated by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police in collaboration with operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team, FID-IRT.
He said one of the principal suspects, popularly known as Ololu, had been on the command’s watch list before his arrest.
“Of course, one of the perpetrators by name popularly called Ololu has been on the command’s watch list. The operatives continued to trail him until his eventual arrest,” Ayanlade said.
He disclosed that intelligence gathered during interrogation led to the arrest of another suspect identified as Dare, also known as Solution.
The police spokesperson said investigation further revealed that the kidnappers allegedly received assistance from a personal assistant identified as Shehu, who was familiar with the family’s daily routine.
“The one who was with the family, who happened to be a personal assistant by name Shehu, was one of those who we picked. He was the one that was first approached to give them inside information of how the family lives, their lifestyle, their routine and all,” Ayanlade said.
According to the police, the suspects initially planned to abduct the children’s mother after studying the family’s movements.
The plan allegedly changed when they discovered that a driver usually conveyed the children to school.
“The initial plan was to kidnap the mother. However, they realised that it was the driver who usually takes them to school, and they changed their plan to go for the kids. Unfortunately, that day it was the mother who drove them to school, and they swung into action,” the police spokesperson added.
Ayanlade said the victims were eventually traced to a hideout in Ibadan on June 6 during a rescue operation conducted around 7:30 p.m.
He said one of the suspects, identified as Kelechi, who reportedly travelled from Lagos to participate in the operation, opened fire on security operatives during the rescue mission.
“They opened fire on the operatives, and then the operatives professionally and with tactical precision neutralised him and the second, who was also there to give a covering fire for him,” he said.
The police said weapons were recovered during the operation, while the victims were rescued unharmed.
Ayanlade added that investigation was still ongoing and that efforts were being intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the kidnapping syndicate.
“I would not want to preempt the investigation. The investigation is still ongoing. The suspects are in custody. We are still on the trail of the rest of them that escaped,” he said.
