By Ghazali Ibrahim
Mrs. Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, the sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her 12-year-old twin sons have regained their freedom following a police rescue operation in Oyo State.
The victims were rescued alive on Saturday during a coordinated operation by security operatives, according to Channels Television.
During the operation, two suspected kidnappers were reportedly killed in a gun battle with police officers, while two firearms were recovered from the criminals.
Security sources said the rescue was made possible through sustained intelligence gathering, tracking of the kidnappers’ movements and coordinated tactical operations by security personnel.
Authorities have also launched a manhunt for other members of the kidnapping gang believed to have escaped during the operation, with some suspected to have sustained gunshot wounds.
Mrs. John-Paul and her twin sons were abducted on June 3, 2026, at Elewura-Challenge in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area while she was taking the children to school.
Witnesses described the abduction as a well-coordinated operation, with armed men intercepting the victims and whisking them away. A video from the scene showed the family’s red Toyota Camry abandoned with its doors left open as shocked residents gathered nearby.
The family of Chief Adelabu later confirmed the incident in a statement issued by his media aide, Comrade Femi Awogboro, who said security agencies had immediately begun efforts to secure the victims’ release and arrest those responsible.
Mrs. John-Paul, the youngest of five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu, previously worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria and First Bank Pension Custodian before voluntarily retiring last year. She had relocated to Ibadan with her children and was preparing to join her husband in the United States before the abduction.
