In a major breakthrough for local law enforcement, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have successfully rescued Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul—the 43-year-old younger sister of the former Minister of Power and 2027 APC governorship aspirant, Chief Adebayo Adelabu—along with her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul.
The high-stakes rescue operation was executed during a late-night tactical raid around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
According to top police sources, sustained intelligence tracking and severe tactical pressure forced the kidnapping syndicate into a tight corner. When police operatives closed in on the suspects’ hideout, a fierce gun battle ensued.
During the exchange of gunfire, police operatives neutralised two of the suspected kidnappers. Law enforcement teams also recovered two firearms from the scene. While the mother and her twin sons were safely extracted alive and unhurt, several other members of the criminal gang managed to flee into the surrounding bush with varying degrees of gunshot wounds. Security forces have since established a tight perimeter to hunt down the remaining fugitives.
The successful operation brings a dramatic end to a seventy-two-hour nightmare for the prominent Adelabu family. Mrs. John-Paul and her twin boys were violently abducted at about 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in the Elewure area of Challenge, Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.
The victims were intercepted by the armed syndicate while the mother was driving the children to school. Following the incident, the kidnappers abandoned the family’s vehicle, which was subsequently recovered by the Challenge Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to aid forensic investigations.
The safe recovery of the former minister’s family injects a much-needed sigh of relief into Oyo State’s tense security landscape. The abduction had occurred amid mounting public panic and sharp political friction over unresolved kidnapping cases in the region, including the ongoing captivity of school pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
Following the rescue, the victims were immediately taken to a secure facility for medical evaluation and psychological support before being reunited with their families. Police authorities have commended the tactical units involved and urged local medical facilities to report any individuals seeking treatment for suspicious bullet wounds.
