The Oyo State Police Command has successfully rescued a kidnapped woman, Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, during a coordinated rescue operation carried out in Ibadan.
The operation, which took place at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, led to the arrest of four suspects, the neutralisation of two armed kidnappers, and the recovery of several weapons and other incriminating items.
According to police investigations, the kidnapping syndicate consisted of several members who played different roles in the planning and execution of the crime.
One of the suspects, identified simply as Kelechi, served as a lookout at the gang's hideout and engaged police operatives in a gun duel when security forces stormed the location. He was neutralised during the exchange of gunfire alongside another unidentified gang member who had participated in holding the victims captive.
Among those arrested was Wale Abolalewa, popularly known as "Oloro," a key member of the kidnapping syndicate who was already on the police watchlist. Investigators revealed that his arrest provided critical intelligence that exposed the criminal network. He reportedly participated in both the planning and execution of the abduction.
Another suspect, Dare Oyedele, alias "Solution," was identified as a principal operational link within the gang. Police said he was actively involved in surveillance, planning, and execution of the kidnapping. Both "Oloro" and "Solution" are currently in custody and assisting investigators.
Also arrested were Semiu Ishola, 39, and Adeyemi Ayobami, 35, who allegedly acted as agents responsible for securing and facilitating the hideout located in Lado Community, Ayegun area of Ibadan, where the victims were held.
Further investigations revealed that the gang conducted extensive surveillance on the victims and their family before carrying out the abduction. The suspects reportedly monitored the family's daily movements, photographed vehicles and school environments, and even attempted to recruit a household staff member identified as Segun in May 2026 as part of their plot.
The operation began following a distress report received by the police on June 3, 2026. In response, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, directed an immediate intelligence-driven manhunt involving operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), the Oyo State Police Command, and other tactical units.
Through a combination of crime scene analysis, digital intelligence, surveillance operations, and information obtained from arrested suspects, investigators successfully identified the gang's hideout and launched a coordinated tactical assault.
During the raid, Kelechi reportedly opened fire on the advancing officers, prompting a gun battle in which two members of the gang were neutralised. The victims were rescued unharmed and subsequently reunited with their family.
Items recovered from the hideout included three pump-action rifles, fourteen live cartridges, an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla believed to have been used during the abduction, criminal charms, a battle axe, a hammer, suspected hard drugs, and face masks.
The Oyo State Police Command stated that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate, some of whom are believed to have sustained gunshot injuries during the operation.
The Command has also appealed to members of the public, particularly healthcare providers and hospital administrators, to promptly report individuals presenting suspicious gunshot wounds to the nearest police station as efforts continue to dismantle the criminal network.
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