A video recorded by an eyewitness has captured the moment armed men abducted Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, alongside her 12-year-old twin sons: Peter and Paul, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident occurred at about 7:30am on Wednesday when John-Paul was taking her children, Peter and Paul, to school.
Eyewitnesses said the 43-year-old was driving a wine-coloured Hyundai Sonata around the Elewura area in Challenge when gunmen intercepted her vehicle as she attempted to connect to the expressway.
According to accounts from the scene, the attackers arrived in an ash-coloured Toyota Camry without registration plates and blocked her path.
One of the gunmen reportedly smashed the driver’s side window before the attackers overpowered the victims, dragged them out of the vehicle and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
The Eagle Online had earlier reported that the family of Chief Adelabu confirmed the abduction of John-Paul and her twin sons in the Oyo State capital.
The family disclosed that armed men intercepted the victims during the school run and forcefully took away the children alongside their mother.
John-Paul is the youngest of the five children of Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu.
Before her voluntary retirement last year, she served at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and First Bank Pension Custodian.
The family said she relocated to Ibadan with her children after retirement while making plans to join her husband, John Paul, who had earlier moved to the United States of America.
Following the attack, operational units led by the Divisional Police Officer of the Challenge Division of the Oyo State Command moved to the scene and recovered the abandoned Hyundai Sonata.
The vehicle, which had its windows shattered during the attack, has been secured as part of ongoing forensic investigations.
In a statement issued by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, the family confirmed that security and law enforcement agencies were immediately notified after the incident.
The statement said security operatives had commenced investigations and intensified efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
The family said Adelabu and other relatives were deeply distressed by the development but remained hopeful that security agencies would secure the safe release of John-Paul and her children.
It appealed to members of the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and refrain from circulating unverified information capable of jeopardising ongoing security operations.
The family also called on Nigerians to support them with prayers and urged anyone with useful information that could assist investigators to report such details through the appropriate security channels.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the kidnappers as efforts continue to locate the victims and ensure their safe return.
More details here...
