By Ayo Kehinde
The Oyo State Government has demolished a three-bedroom bungalow allegedly used as a hideout by suspects linked to the abduction of Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons.
The demolished property was located in Lako Community along the Aiyegun-Anaye Road area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The demolition exercise was carried out on Monday by officials of the Oyo State Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, accompanied by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, as authorities intensified efforts to dismantle criminal networks and eliminate locations believed to be used by kidnappers and other criminal elements across the state.
State government sources said the action formed part of broader measures aimed at combating kidnapping and denying criminal groups safe operational bases within Oyo State.
The development follows the abduction of Mrs John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the Elewura area of Challenge in Ibadan.
The victims were kidnapped at about 7:30 a.m. while Mrs John-Paul was taking the children to school, an incident that sparked concern among residents and heightened security fears in the state.
Mrs John-Paul is the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and the youngest of five children of Mrs Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu.
The victims later regained their freedom following a coordinated rescue operation by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT).
The Nigeria Police Force had disclosed that the operation followed sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tactical deployment that enabled operatives to track the movement of the kidnappers.
According to police authorities, the rescue operation resulted in a confrontation between operatives and members of the kidnapping syndicate, during which two suspected kidnappers were neutralised while firearms were recovered.
Monday’s demolition is seen as part of a tougher security response by the Oyo State Government aimed at discouraging criminal activities and sending a strong signal against the use of residential properties and other facilities as operational bases for kidnapping and violent crimes.
Authorities have yet to disclose additional details regarding ownership of the demolished building or whether further demolitions linked to the investigation would follow.
