The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate linked to the abduction of Adegoke Olaide John-Paul and her 11-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the suspects had conducted weeks of surveillance on the victim’s family, attempted to infiltrate the household by recruiting an insider, and monitored their daily movements before executing the abduction in Ibadan.
John-Paul, a younger sister to former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her sons were abducted on June 3 at about 7:00 a.m. while she was taking them to school in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The victims were rescued unhurt on Saturday following a coordinated operation by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) in collaboration with the Oyo State Police Command, after three days in captivity.
According to the police, two suspects were killed during a gun duel with operatives during the rescue operation, while one suspect, Wale Abolalewa, also known as “Oloro,” who was already on a police watchlist, was arrested.
The spokesperson said the arrest of Abolalewa provided critical intelligence that led investigators to another suspect, Dare Oyedele, popularly known as “Solution,” believed to be a key operational member of the gang.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate attempted in May to recruit an insider within the victim’s household through a staff member identified as Segun. The gang reportedly carried out extensive surveillance of the family’s movements, routines, and the schools attended by the children in preparation for the operation.
Police further stated that analysis of digital evidence recovered from the suspects showed photographs of the family’s vehicles, school environment, and daily activities, which were used to track and profile the victims.
Acting on the intelligence gathered, operatives reportedly traced the gang’s hideout to the Lado community in the Ayegun area of Ibadan, where a tactical operation was launched on Friday evening to rescue the victims.
During the operation, one of the suspects, identified as Kelechi, said to have travelled from Lagos State and acted as a lookout, engaged operatives in a gunfight. Police said he was neutralised alongside another unidentified gang member after what they described as a superior tactical response.
Two additional suspects, Semiu Ishola (39) and Adeyemi Ayobami (35), were arrested for allegedly providing support and facilitating the use of the hideout.
Items recovered from the suspects included three pump-action rifles, 14 live cartridges, an unregistered Toyota Corolla allegedly used in the operation, a battle axe, a hammer, face masks, suspected narcotics, and charms.
The Command said efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate, some of whom are believed to have sustained gunshot injuries during the raid. It also urged members of the public, including healthcare providers and traditional bone setters, to report anyone seeking treatment for suspicious gunshot wounds, assuring that all information will be treated confidentially.
