Gentlemen of the press,
I welcome you all to this press briefing, and I thank you for your continued partnership in our collective quest for a safer and more secure Oyo State.
This press briefing is in furtherance of the earlier press release issued yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer and is convened to provide a more vivid and comprehensive account of the events that led to the successful rescue of the abducted victims. It also serves to update the public on the coordinated intelligence-led operation that culminated in the neutralization of two kidnappers, the arrest of four principal suspects, and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, operational vehicles, and other incriminating exhibits.
The Oyo State Police Command hereby formally briefs the public on a significant operational breakthrough recorded in its ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes across the State. The Command remains committed to transparency, accountability, and sustained collaboration with members of the public in the fight against crime.
The operation was a coordinated effort between the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) and the Oyo State Police Command, working in synergy with other tactical units of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Command wishes to inform members of the public of a major operational breakthrough culminating in the successful rescue of a kidnapped woman and her twin sons, the neutralization of two armed kidnappers, the arrest of four other members and collaborators of the criminal syndicate, and the recovery of operational weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and other exhibits used in the commission of the crime.
The operation followed a distress report received on 3rd June, 2026, at about 7:30 a.m., regarding the abduction of one Mrs. Adegoke Olaide Busayo, aged 42 years, alongside her eleven-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul. The victims were abducted by four armed suspects operating in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Camry at Elewura Street, Off Ring Road, Ibadan, while the mother was conveying the children to school.
Consequently, upon receipt of the report, acting on the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, the commissioner of Police Oyo State Police Command, ordered an immediate coordinated and intelligence-driven manhunt for the perpetrators. This led to the deployment of operatives of the FID-IRT in synergy with the Oyo State Police Command and other tactical teams to commence a comprehensive rescue and tracking operation.
Acting on initial intelligence gathered from the crime scene and surrounding environment, operatives intensified surveillance activities, which led to the arrest of one Wale Abolalewa, popularly known as “Oloro,” a suspect already on the Command’s watchlist for related criminal activities. His arrest provided a critical entry point into the wider network of the kidnapping syndicate.
Building on this breakthrough, sustained interrogation and further investigative exploitation of intelligence led to the arrest of a second suspect, Dare Oyedele, popularly known as “Solution,” identified as a key operational link within the gang’s structure.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang had earlier, in May 2026, attempted to recruit an insider within the victim’s household through one Segun, a staff member attached to the family. This formed part of a wider surveillance and reconnaissance plan during which the gang monitored the family’s movements, routines, and the schools attended by the children.
Further investigation revealed that the suspects later shifted from their initial target and proceeded with the actual abduction on 3rd June, 2026, using the unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla.
A detailed analysis of their digital footprints uncovered a structured surveillance operation, including photographs of the victim’s vehicles, school environment, daily routines, and lifestyle patterns, all used to profile and track the family prior to the attack.
With these combined intelligence assets, operatives were able to positively identify the suspects’ hideout located at Lado community Ayegun Ibadan.
On 6th June, 2026, at about 7:30 p.m., operatives of the FID-IRT, supported by other tactical teams of the Oyo State Police Command, stormed the identified hideout in a well-coordinated tactical operation aimed at rescuing the victims alive. However, upon sighting the advancing operatives, one of the gang members identified as “Kelechi,” who had travelled from Lagos State and was positioned as a lookout, engaged the operatives in a gun duel. The operatives responded with superior tactical precision, resulting in the neutralization of Kelechi and another unidentified member of the gang.
Following the successful clearance of the hideout, the kidnapped victims—Mrs. Adegoke Olaide Busayo and her twin sons, Peter and Paul—were rescued unhurt and immediately placed in protective custody before being reunited with their family.
In continuation of mop-up and follow-up operations, the two principal suspects, Wale Abolalewa alias “Oloro” and Dare Oyedele alias “Solution,” were taken into custody and are currently assisting investigators with critical information aimed at apprehending other fleeing members of the syndicate.
Additionally, two other suspects identified as agents responsible for contracting and facilitating the use of the said criminal hideout were also arrested. They are Semiu Ishola, aged 39 years, and Adeyemi Ayobami, aged 35 years, and are currently in police custody assisting ongoing investigation.
Exhibits recovered includes:
1. 3 pump-action guns rifle
2. 1 the unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla used for the abduction
3. 14 live Cartridges.
4. Criminal Charm
5. 1 Battle Axe
6. 1 Hammer
7. Substances suspected to be hard drugs
8. 2 face-mask.
Investigations are ongoing, with intensified efforts to apprehend other fleeing suspects believed to have escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries sustained during the encounter with operatives.
The Oyo State Police Command appreciates the Inspector-General of Police for his strategic leadership, operational support, and unwavering commitment to strengthening policing capabilities nationwide. The Command also expresses profound appreciation to the Oyo State Government for its continued support and collaboration in ensuring the safety and security of lives and property within the State.
In light of the foregoing, the Command calls on members of the public, medical practitioners, private hospital operators, traditional bone setters, and other healthcare providers to promptly report any individual presenting with suspicious gunshot injuries or unusual medical cases to the nearest Police Station or security agency. Such information will be treated with utmost confidentiality.
More details here…
