Gunmen abduct former minister's sister and twin sons in Ibadan

Armed men kidnapped Busayo John-Paul, a 43-year-old sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, early Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State. They also took her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul. This incident happened around 7:30 a.m. in the Challenge area while Mrs John-Paul was on her way to drop her children at school in a white Hyundai Sonata.

An eyewitness shared the story with Fresh FM during a live program. According to him, the attackers stopped the victims' car and forcefully took them away. He explained that the gunmen came in a silver Toyota Camry with two men inside. One of them had a gun and smashed the driver's side window before pulling the victims out.

"A coaster bus was passing by when the gunmen attacked. The woman locked the door, but they broke the glass, took them, and drove towards Molete express," he said. He mentioned that police officers and other security personnel arrived at the scene later.

The family of Mr Adelabu confirmed the incident in a statement from the former minister’s media aide, Femi Awogboro. They described the situation as distressing and asked for calm and support from the public. "The entire family is deeply distressed by this tragic development but remains hopeful and confident in the security agencies' ability to secure the safe release of Mrs John-Paul and her children."

The statement continued, "Immediately the incident was reported, all relevant security and law enforcement agencies were contacted. Efforts are ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and catch those responsible for this crime."

Mr Awogboro added that the kidnapped family members were getting ready to join Mrs John-Paul's husband, who had moved to the United States earlier. Mr Adelabu had resigned as Minister of Power in April to run for the APC governorship primary election in May in Oyo State, but he lost.

The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the kidnapping. They said they are working hard to rescue the victims and find the kidnappers. "We’ve started investigations into the matter, and efforts to rescue the victims are currently ongoing," said Olayinka Ayanlade, the police spokesperson in Oyo State, when he spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the phone.