Police operatives in Oyo State on Saturday night killed two suspected kidnappers during an operation to rescue the sister of a former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
The victims – Mrs. Busayo Adelabu-JohnPaul, and her twin sons, Peter and Paul were abducted by gunmen in Ibadan last week.
The State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, told journalists on Sunday a cache of weapons, criminal charms and an unregistered Toyota Corolla were also recovered during the raid.
Olugbenga said the operation was executed by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team, FID-IRT, working alongside the Oyo State Police Command and other tactical units.
He described the raid as a decisive strike that dismantled a kidnapping syndicate terrorising parts of Ibadan.
“The raid was triggered by the abduction of Mrs. Busayo Adelabu-JohnPaul, 42, and her 11-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, on June 3, at about 7:30 a.m.
“The victims were seized by four armed men in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota vehicle along Elewura Street, off Ring Road in Ibadan, while the mother was taking the children to school.
“Acting on directives from the Inspector-General of Police. We began immediate intelligence-led manhunt.
“Operatives intensified surveillance and tracking, which led to the arrest of Wale Abolalewa, alias “Oloro,” a suspect already on the Command’s watchlist.
“His arrest provided the first major breakthrough into the gang’s network.
“Further interrogation led investigators to Dare Oyedele, alias “Solution,” identified as a key operational link within the syndicate,” the CP stated.
(Ripples)