IBADAN – Fear and anxiety have gripped residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following the audacious daylight abduction of Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, the younger sister of the immediate past Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, alongside her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul. The incident, which occurred amidst a worsening wave of insecurity in the state, prompted an immediate high-profile solidarity visit from Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to the Adelabu family home to assure them of state support. The 43-year-old mother was driving her children to school around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. An unmarked, ash-colored Toyota Camry intercepted her vehicle near the Bolumole, Elewura-Challenge area of Ibadan. Armed gunmen leapt out of the vehicle, shooting sporadically into the air to terrorise bystanders. They forcefully dragged Mrs. John-Paul and her twin sons out of their car and whisked them away toward the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. A statement released by Chief Adelabu`s media aide, Comrade Femi Awogboro, confirmed the family`s deep distress but expressed hope in ongoing law enforcement efforts. In a swift political and humanitarian gesture, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde paid a solidarity visit to Chief Adebayo Adelabu—who recently resigned from President Bola Tinubu`s cabinet to pursue his gubernatorial ambitions under the All Progressives Congress (APC). Governor Makinde condemned the attack, describing it as an assault on all citizens of Oyo State. He assured the family that the state`s security apparatus would leave no stone unturned until the mother and her children safely reunite with their loved ones. The Oyo State Police Command has deployed major resources to track down the perpetrators. Police Public Relations Officer DSP Ayanlade Olayinka confirmed that the victim’s abandoned vehicle has been recovered from the scene."The Commissioner of Police immediately directed tactical units and the Divisional Police Officer of the Challenge Division to launch intensive investigations," Ayanlade stated, appealing to the public to provide credible information. The incident has intensified local panic, coming just weeks after suspected terrorists raided three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Ogbomoso, abducting over 40 pupils and teachers. The Oyo State chapter of the APC, through its Publicity Secretary Olawale Sadare, strongly condemned the rise in local kidnappings and urged Governor Makinde to collaborate more aggressively with federal security units to secure the state. Meanwhile, the family has urged the public to stay calm and refrain from spreading unverified rumors that could jeopardize the ongoing rescue operations.
