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Adelabu family aide supplied kidnappers with intelligence on sister’s movement, twins’ abduction – Police
The Oyo State Police Command has alleged that a personal assistant attached to the family of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, provided critical information that enabled the abduction of his sister, Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, and her 12-year-old twin sons.
The command said the aide, identified as Shehu, allegedly fed the kidnappers with details of the family’s daily routine, movement patterns and vulnerability, which were used to execute the operation.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s
The Morning Brief, where he provided updates on the ongoing investigation.
Mrs John-Paul and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, were abducted on June 3, 2026, at the Elewura axis of Ring Road, Ibadan, while she was taking them to school.
They were later rescued alive during a coordinated operation on June 6, which also led to the death of two suspected kidnappers.
Ayanlade said the rescue mission was carried out on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police and coordinated by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police in conjunction with operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT).
He explained that one of the principal suspects, known as Ololu, had long been on the command’s watch list before his eventual 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,” he said.
According to him, intelligence obtained from Ololu led investigators to another suspect, identified as Dare, also known as Solution.
Preliminary findings, he added, indicated that Shehu, who worked closely with the family, was approached and allegedly recruited to provide insider information about their movements and 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.
The police further alleged that the kidnappers initially planned to abduct the children’s mother after monitoring the family’s pattern of movement.
However, the plan changed when they realised that a driver usually took the children to school. On the day of the incident, the mother reportedly drove them herself, prompting the abductors to strike.
“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,” he added.
Ayanlade said the victims were traced to a hideout in Ibadan on June 6 at about 7:30 p.m., following sustained intelligence-led operations.
He disclosed that during the rescue attempt, a suspect identified as Kelechi, who reportedly travelled from Lagos for the operation, opened fire on operatives.
“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 confirmed that arms and ammunition were recovered from the suspects, while the rescued victims were found unharmed.
Ayanlade added that investigations were still ongoing, with efforts intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang.
“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 stated.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday evening officially swore in Joseph Tegbe as Nigeria’s new Minister of Power at the Exco Chambers of the Presidential Villa. The ceremony was attended by Tegbe’s wife and senior government officials.
An indigene of Oyo State, Tegbe is a seasoned fiscal and economic reform expert with over three decades of experience spanning both public and private sectors.
Until his latest appointment, he served as the Director General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, coordinating critical bilateral development initiatives between the two nations. He also previously led as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, driving fiscal policy reforms, governance frameworks, and institutional transformation.
Tegbe’s portfolio includes chairing the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, inaugurated by the Federal Government in 2025 to oversee the execution of Nigeria’s revised tax policy.
He has also been involved in regulatory and institutional reforms in the power sector, collaborating with agencies such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company.
A statement from the presidency noted that “the President expects the Minister to leverage his extensive expertise to advance critical reforms and deliver improved outcomes for Nigerians in the power sector.”
Tegbe succeeds Chief Bayo Adelabu, who resigned in March 2026 to pursue his ambition to contest the 2027 Oyo State governorship election.
Adelabu’s exit followed President Tinubu’s directive that political appointees intending to run for elective positions must step down.
Commenting on his departure, Adelabu stated that his resignation “aligns with due process and party guidelines as I prepare to return to active partisan politics ahead of the 2027 elections.”
Mrs Rachael Alamu, the school principal abducted alongside 45 students in Oyo State, has dismissed reports alleging that their captors demanded a ₦1bn ransom, firearms and the implementation of Sharia law across Nigeria.
Alamu, who has remained in captivity since she and the students were kidnapped on May 15, described the reports making the rounds on social media and some online platforms as false.
In an emotional video released from captivity over the weekend, the visibly distressed principal said the kidnappers had made only one demand — the release of some of their members currently in detention.
“The information being circulated that they demanded ₦1bn, guns and Sharia law is not true,” she said in the video.
“What they are asking for is the release of some of their detained members.”
The clarification came amid growing anxiety among parents, residents and concerned Nigerians over the safety of the abducted students, as conflicting reports continued to trail the incident.
Over the weekend, reports widely circulated online claimed the abductors had issued far-reaching demands to the Oyo State Government, including a ₦1bn ransom, weapons and the enforcement of Sharia law nationwide as conditions for freeing the victims.
However, Alamu’s latest statement appears to have contradicted the viral claims.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, has urged caution over public discussions surrounding the kidnappers’ alleged demands, warning against actions that could strengthen criminal networks.
Speaking during plenary while lawmakers deliberated on the abduction, Ogundoyin stressed the need for restraint and sensitivity, noting that the government was handling delicate security matters.
“If terrorists asked for weapons, money and concessions of future laws of this land as part of their ransom, if you’re the governor, would you accept?” the Speaker queried.
He added, “We don’t know the details. So, please, let’s be sensitive. The more you negotiate with these people, the more you will embolden them.”
The abduction, which has continued to generate outrage across the state, has renewed concerns over insecurity in schools and the vulnerability of students to attacks by criminal groups.
As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State Government had yet to officially react to Alamu’s latest comments, while efforts to secure the release of the victims were said to be ongoing.
The Oyo State Government on Monday demolished a three-bedroom bungalow allegedly used as a hideout by suspected kidnappers involved in the abduction of the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Bayo Adelabu, and her children in Ibadan.
The property, located at Lakoun Estate, Olomi-Olojuoro Road in Oluyole Local Government Area, was pulled down by officials of the state Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, accompanied by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
The demolition followed the abduction of Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, reportedly seized by gunmen at the Elewura area of Challenge, Ibadan, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
The victims were rescued by police operatives on Saturday.
Residents watched from a distance as heavy-duty equipment moved into the community to demolish the bungalow, which security operatives allegedly identified as a base for the criminal gang.
The state government said the action underscored its resolve to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against criminality.
Police authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the demolition as of the time of filing this report.
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