Police Detail Plot Behind Ex-Minister's Relatives' Abduction in Nigeria

The Oyo State Police Command has outlined the sophisticated planning and execution involved in the kidnapping of Olaide Busayo Adegoke, the younger sister of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, and her 11-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul.

According to police, the criminal syndicate spent weeks surveilling the family, meticulously studying their daily routines and even attempting to enlist a household staff member named Segun. The operation, which occurred on June 3 as Adegoke was taking her children to school, involved four armed men in an unregistered ash-colored Toyota Corolla intercepting the victims in Ibadan.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, stated that the abduction was not a spontaneous act but the result of extensive reconnaissance. "The gang monitored the family’s movements, routines and the schools attended by the children as part of a wider surveillance and reconnaissance operation," Olayinka explained. Investigators uncovered digital evidence, including photographs of the family's vehicles and the school environment, gathered in preparation for the abduction.

Following a distress report, a joint operation involving national and state police units was launched. A breakthrough occurred with the arrest of Wale Abolalewa, known as “Oloro,” who was already under surveillance. His arrest provided a pathway into the network, leading to the identification of another key suspect, Dare Oyedele, alias “Solution.” This intelligence ultimately led police to the gang’s hideout in Ibadan, where a rescue operation on June 6 resulted in the victims' safe return. During the raid, one gang member reportedly opened fire on operatives.

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The gang monitored the family’s movements, routines and the schools attended by the children as part of a wider surveillance and reconnaissance operation.