The Nigeria Police Force has rescued, Mrs. Olaide Busayo John-Paul, sister of a former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, during an operation carried out around 7:30 pm today (Saturday).
According to a source in the Force, two suspected kidnappers were neutralised in a gun duel with police operatives, while two firearms were recovered from the gang.
The victims were abducted around 7:30 am last Wednesday while on their way to drop the children at school in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Police sources disclosed that sustained intelligence tracking and tactical pressure forced the kidnappers into a confrontation with operatives, leading to the successful rescue of the victims.
The source disclosed that security operatives are still combing nearby areas for fleeing members of the kidnapping syndicate, some of whom are believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.
In a statement confirming her abduction, Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, had said: ‘We are deeply distressed by this unfortunate incident but remain hopeful that the victims will be rescued safely. We appeal to the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and support ongoing efforts with prayers’.
Mrs. John-Paul is the youngest of five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adelabu. She reportedly retired voluntarily from her career at First Bank Pension Custodian in 2025 before relocating to Ibadan with her children.
Following the incident, the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde visited Adelabu on Friday and assured him that efforts to rescue the abductees have been intensified.
‘Yesterday, we visited my brother, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, to commiserate with him over the kidnapping of his younger sister and her children’, Makinde wrote in a post on his X handle, where he shared a video of the visit.
‘I assured him that the security agencies are working towards their safe return, and we discussed some of the measures our administration is putting in place to further strengthen our security architecture in Oyo State’, he added.
The abduction came weeks after over 40 students and teachers were kidnapped in the Orire Local Government of the state, a development that has sparked outrage and protests across the country.
Source: Channels Television
