The Nigeria Police Force has rescued Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, alive, following a late-night rescue operation carried out around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026. The victims are the younger sister and nephews of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
The rescue operation was carried out three days after the victims were abducted by armed gunmen in Ibadan. The development was confirmed by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, and the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka.
The victims were abducted on Wednesday morning while the former employee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was taking her children to school in Ibadan, Oyo State. The unfortunate incident reportedly occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on June 3, 2026, throwing residents of the area into panic. The 43-year-old mother was taken from her vehicle by the gunmen and driven away with her 12-year-old twin sons.
Witnesses at the time described the operation as coordinated, with armed men intercepting the victims and whisking them away. A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed a red Toyota Camry abandoned at the scene with its doors left open, while residents gathered in shock following the incident.
The family of Chief Adelabu subsequently confirmed the abduction in a statement signed by his media aide, Comrade Femi Awogboro, describing the incident as unfortunate and disclosing that security agencies had immediately commenced efforts to secure the victims’ release and apprehend those responsible.
Mrs. John-Paul is the youngest of five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu, who reportedly retired voluntarily from her career at First Bank Pension Custodian in 2025 before relocating to Ibadan with her children.
Following the incident, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State visited Adelabu on Friday and assured him that efforts to rescue the abductees had been intensified. “Yesterday, we visited my brother, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, to commiserate with him over the kidnapping of his younger sister and her children,” the governor 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.”
According to security sources, the victims were rescued alive after police operatives tracked the kidnappers and mounted sustained tactical pressure on the criminal gang. A source within the Force disclosed that the operation led to a fierce gun battle between the kidnappers and police operatives, resulting in the death of two suspected members of the gang.
“The victims were rescued alive during the operation. Two suspected kidnappers were neutralised in a gun duel with police operatives, while two firearms were recovered from the gang,” the source said.
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 separate but related incident earlier reported in the state, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wale Oriade, was also abducted in Ibadan in December 2025. The kidnapping of Mrs. John-Paul had sparked widespread alarm about the security situation in Oyo State, with many calling on authorities to step up efforts against the growing menace of kidnapping for ransom in the region.
The Oyo State Police Command has not yet issued a full statement on further investigations into the syndicate.
