Oyo State Police Command on Saturday neutralised two suspected kidnappers and rescued Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s sister, Mrs Busayo Adelabu-JohnPaul, 42, and her 11-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, during a tactical raid in the Lado community, Ayegun, Ibadan.
Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed this on Sunday at a news conference in Ibadan while giving updates on the Command’s offensive against kidnapping gangs.
The victims were abducted on June 3, at about 7:30 a.m. by four armed men in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla along Elewura Street, off Ring Road, while the mother was taking the children to school.
CP Olugbenga said the raid was carried out on Saturday by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team, FID-IRT, in collaboration with Oyo State Command tactical units, following directives from the Inspector-General of Police.
According to the CP, intelligence-led tracking led to the arrest of Wale Abolalewa, alias “Oloro,” a suspect on the Command’s watchlist. Interrogation of the suspect led investigators to Dare Oyedele, alias “Solution,” identified as a key operational link in the syndicate.
Digital forensics revealed the gang had profiled the family before the attack. “Analysis of their devices uncovered photographs of the victim’s vehicles, school environment, and daily lifestyle patterns used to profile the family,” Olugbenga said.
Operatives traced the syndicate to a hideout in Ayegun. At about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, FID-IRT operatives backed by Oyo Command tactical teams stormed the location. A gang member identified as “Kelechi,” who had travelled from Lagos as a lookout, opened fire on operatives.
“The police responded with superior tactical precision, neutralising Kelechi and another unidentified gang member in the ensuing gun duel,” the CP said.
The operation achieved its primary objective, with the victims rescued unhurt and reunited with their family. Four other suspects were arrested: Wale Abolalewa alias “Oloro,” Dare Oyedele alias “Solution,” Semiu Ishola, 39, and Adeyemi Ayobami, 35, alleged facilitators of the hideout.
Exhibits recovered include three pump-action guns, 14 live cartridges, the unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla used in the abduction, criminal charms, a battle axe, a hammer, substances suspected to be hard drugs, and two face masks.
CP Olugbenga said investigations revealed the gang had attempted to recruit an insider in the victim’s household through a staff member named Segun to monitor the family’s movements. He added that investigations are ongoing to apprehend fleeing suspects who escaped with gunshot injuries.
The Commissioner urged medical practitioners, private hospitals, and traditional bone setters to report anyone with suspicious gunshot wounds. He also called on landlords associations and community development associations to report strange movements to security agencies.
A landlord in the area, Mr Moruf Orankan, said the house belonged to a woman who did not live in the community and had never attended landlord association meetings.
CP Olugbenga assured residents that the Command, in collaboration with the IGP and the state government, remains committed to transparency and the pursuit of criminal elements across the state.
