The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with the abduction of Mrs. Adegoke Olaide Busayo, sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons, Paul and Peter.
Key Highlights:
- Oyo State Police Command arrested 4 suspects linked to the kidnapping of ex-minister Adelabu’s sister and her twin sons.
- The victims were abducted in Ibadan on June 3 and rescued safely on June 6.
- Police said the gang used surveillance and inside information to plan the attack.
- Two suspects were killed during a raid on the kidnappers’ hideout, while others were arrested.
- Investigations are ongoing to track down remaining members of the syndicate.
The victims were kidnapped on June 3, 2026, in the Challenge area of Ibadan while Mrs. Busayo was taking her children to school. They were rescued unharmed during a police operation on June 6.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Sunday, June 7, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed that the arrests followed intelligence-led investigations launched immediately after the incident.
According to the police spokesperson, investigators first apprehended Wale Abolalewa, popularly known as “Oloro,” a suspect already on the command’s watchlist for alleged involvement in similar criminal activities. His arrest subsequently led to the capture of another suspect, Dare Oyedele, alias “Solution,” who was identified as a key operational figure within the kidnapping syndicate.
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Preliminary findings revealed that the gang had attempted to recruit an insider within the victim’s household in May 2026 through a staff member identified as Segun. The plan was reportedly part of an extensive surveillance operation aimed at monitoring the family’s movements, daily routines, and the schools attended by the children.
Investigators further discovered that after abandoning their initial target, the suspects carried out the abduction on June 3 using an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla.
The police said forensic analysis of the suspects’ digital activities uncovered photographs and intelligence gathered on the family’s vehicles, school environment, movement patterns, and lifestyle, which were allegedly used to facilitate the crime.
Acting on the intelligence obtained, operatives traced the gang’s hideout to the Lado community in Ayegun, Ibadan, where a coordinated raid was carried out on June 6.
During the operation, a gang member identified as “Kelechi,” who had reportedly travelled from Lagos State to serve as a lookout, engaged security operatives in a gun battle. Police said officers responded and neutralized Kelechi along with another unidentified gang member.
Following the successful operation, the kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt and placed under protective custody before being reunited with their family.
The police also confirmed that two additional suspects, identified as Semiu Ishola, 39, and Adeyemi Ayobami, 35, were arrested for allegedly facilitating and providing the criminal hideout used by the gang. Both suspects remain in custody and are assisting investigators.
Items recovered from the suspects include pump-action firearms, 14 live cartridges, an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly used in the abduction, a battle axe, a hammer, face masks, suspected hard drugs, and charms.
The Oyo State Police Command said investigations are ongoing as efforts intensify to apprehend other fleeing members of the kidnapping syndicate.
