The Oyo State Police Command on Monday revealed details of the intelligence-led operation that led to the rescue of the sister of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons from their abductors, saying meticulous surveillance, digital tracking and coordinated tactical operations culminated in the successful rescue mission.
The Command disclosed that two suspected kidnappers were killed during a gun battle with operatives, while four other members and collaborators of the criminal syndicate were arrested.
Speaking at a press briefing in Ibadan on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the operation was jointly carried out by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), the Oyo State Police Command and other tactical units of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the police, the operation followed a distress report received on June 3, 2026, at about 7:30 a.m. concerning the abduction of Mrs. Busayo Olaide Adegoke, 42, and her 11-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped by four armed men who operated in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota vehicle along Elewura Street, off Ring Road, Ibadan, while Mrs. Adegoke was taking her children to school.
Ayanlade said that immediately after receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, acting on the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, ordered a comprehensive manhunt for the perpetrators.
“The deployment of operatives of the FID-IRT in synergy with the Oyo State Police Command and other tactical teams led to an intensive rescue and tracking operation,” he said.
Investigations commenced with intelligence gathered from the crime scene and surrounding areas, leading to the arrest of one Wale Abolalewa, popularly known as “Oloro,” who was already on the Command’s watchlist for related criminal activities.
Police said his arrest provided investigators with a crucial lead into the operations of the kidnapping syndicate.
Further interrogation and intelligence exploitation subsequently led to the arrest of another suspect, Dare Oyedele, alias “Solution,” who was identified as a key operational figure within the gang.
The police disclosed that investigations uncovered an earlier attempt by the gang to infiltrate the victim’s household through a staff member identified simply as Segun.
According to investigators, the suspects had, in May 2026, sought to recruit the staff member as part of a broader surveillance operation targeting the family.
The gang allegedly monitored the family’s daily activities, movement patterns, vehicles and the schools attended by the children before eventually striking.
Police investigators also uncovered what they described as extensive digital evidence showing that the kidnappers conducted a structured surveillance operation before carrying out the abduction.
“A detailed analysis of their digital footprints revealed photographs of the victim’s vehicles, school environment, daily routines and lifestyle patterns which were used to profile and track the family prior to the attack,” Ayanlade said.
The intelligence gathered from the suspects and digital evidence eventually led operatives to a hideout located in the Lado community area of Ayegun, Ibadan.
On June 6, 2026, at about 7:30 p.m., a combined team of FID-IRT operatives and tactical units of the Oyo State Police Command stormed the hideout in a carefully coordinated operation aimed at rescuing the victims unharmed.
However, police said the operation met armed resistance as one of the gang members, identified simply as Kelechi, who reportedly travelled from Lagos State and served as a lookout for the group, opened fire on the advancing operatives.
The ensuing gun battle resulted in the death of Kelechi and another yet-to-be-identified member of the gang.
Following the successful clearance of the hideout, Mrs. Busayo and her twin sons were rescued unhurt and taken into protective custody before being reunited with their family.
The police said follow-up operations led to the arrest of the two principal suspects, Abolalewa and Oyedele, who are currently assisting investigators with information aimed at tracking down other fleeing members of the syndicate.
Two additional suspects identified as facilitators of the criminal hideout were also arrested. They were named as Semiu Ishola, 39, and Adeyemi Ayobami, 35.
According to the Command, all four suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.
Items recovered during the operation include three pump-action guns, 14 live cartridges, the unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly used for the abduction, criminal charms, a battle axe, a hammer, substances suspected to be hard drugs and two face masks.
The police said efforts had been intensified to apprehend other members of the syndicate believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds sustained during the encounter.
Ayanlade called on members of the public, healthcare workers, private hospitals and traditional bone setters to report any individuals presenting with suspicious gunshot injuries to security agencies.
He assured residents that information provided would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
The spokesman also urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities within their communities.
He reiterated the commitment of the Oyo State Police Command to protecting lives and property and vowed that all criminal elements operating within the state would be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.
