The Nigeria Police Force has rescued the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, alongside her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, days after they were abducted in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The victims were rescued alive during a coordinated security operation carried out on Saturday by police operatives.
According to reports by Channels Television, two suspected kidnappers were killed during a gun battle with security personnel, while officers recovered two firearms from the criminal gang.
Mrs John-Paul and her children were reportedly kidnapped at about 7:30 a.m. on June 3, 2026, while travelling to drop the twins at school.
The incident sparked widespread concern within Oyo State and beyond, especially because of the family’s connection to Chief Adelabu, a prominent politician and former minister.
Security sources disclosed that intelligence gathering, surveillance operations, and sustained tactical pressure mounted by the police forced the kidnappers into a confrontation with operatives.
The ensuing exchange of gunfire ultimately led to the successful rescue of the victims without reported injuries.
The police also revealed that security operatives have intensified combing operations across nearby forests and communities in search of other fleeing members of the kidnapping syndicate.
Some of the suspects are believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds sustained during the confrontation.
The abduction had earlier heightened concerns over rising cases of kidnapping and insecurity in parts of Nigeria, particularly along highways and within suburban communities.
In recent years, criminal gangs involved in kidnapping-for-ransom activities have increasingly targeted commuters, schoolchildren, politicians’ relatives, and business figures.
Although authorities have not yet released full details of the rescue operation, the successful outcome is being viewed as a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts by security agencies to combat violent crime and dismantle kidnapping networks operating across the country.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official public statement detailing the identities of the deceased suspects or whether any arrests had been made in connection with the incident.
