Fresh details have emerged regarding the abduction of Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke, the sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons in Ibadan, Oyo State, as suspects arrested in connection with the crime allegedly disclosed how the operation was planned and executed.
The suspects were apprehended by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) in collaboration with tactical units of the Oyo State Police Command. Investigators said the suspects played different roles in the kidnapping, which took place on June 3.
Among those arrested are the alleged gang leader, Adewale Abolarinwa, popularly known as Oloro; Segun Balogun, also known as Alawaye; and Dare Oyedele, nicknamed Solution.
The victims were rescued last Saturday from a hideout in the Lako community along the Ayegun-Olomi Road in Ibadan following directives from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Balogun, a commercial driver operating at Iwo Road Motor Park, reportedly admitted to transporting members of the gang during the operation. He said he had known Oloro for over a decade through transport union activities before being approached to participate in the kidnapping.
According to his account, Oloro had initially sought information about Adelabu’s family members and residence before revealing plans to abduct either the former minister’s mother or another family member. Balogun alleged that financial hardship was cited as the motive behind the plot and that he was promised financial rewards for assisting the gang.
He further claimed that the operation was executed on June 3 after receiving instructions from Oloro the previous day. Balogun said he drove the vehicle used in the abduction while three other gang members, wearing masks, carried out the attack.
He alleged that after identifying the victims’ vehicle, the gang intercepted it, forced it to stop, and moved the woman and her children into their own vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Another suspect, Oyedele, popularly known as Solution, was identified by investigators as an automobile electrician who allegedly handled surveillance activities before the abduction. Police sources disclosed that the gang began monitoring the family as early as May 5, tracking the children’s movements, school activities, residence and transportation arrangements.
Investigators also claimed that intercepted communications showed Oyedele providing information about the family’s routines and movements.
Oyedele, a 43-year-old native of Ishara Remo in Ogun State, acknowledged knowing Oloro for about a year. He alleged that the suspected gang leader was once associated with the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) before being expelled over an earlier kidnapping case.
He further claimed that Oloro later recruited him into the group and involved him in suspicious movements around Ibadan. According to Oyedele, a Toyota Corolla brought to his residence on June 2 contained two pump-action guns allegedly intended for the operation.
He alleged that during the abduction, he, Oloro and another gang member identified as Kelechi wore masks, while Balogun remained inside the vehicle. Oyedele claimed he was armed with an axe, while the other suspects carried pump-action guns.
According to his statement, Oloro allegedly shattered the side window of the victims’ vehicle before the woman and her children were transferred into the gang’s car.
Police sources revealed that Balogun first came under suspicion when investigators searching for Oloro contacted him because of their known association. During questioning, officers reportedly noticed him attempting to delete information from his mobile phone.
A subsequent examination of the device allegedly uncovered messages linked to a firearm transaction involving Oloro. Although Balogun was initially detained over those findings, investigators said his alleged role in the kidnapping became clearer after the arrest of the gang leader.
During the rescue operation, police reportedly arrested several suspects while two others were killed during an exchange with security operatives.
Further investigations led officers to a property linked to Oyedele, where a pump-action gun was allegedly recovered. Police said the discovery increased the total number of firearms recovered from the gang to three.
Authorities also claimed that charms were found in Oloro’s possession, with some reportedly recovered from his vehicle.
Sources disclosed that the alleged gang leader has remained silent since being presented during a police briefing conducted by Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Ayodeji Abimbola.
Police records indicate that Oloro had previously been paraded by the Oyo State Police Command in September 2022 after being arrested alongside other suspected kidnappers. At the time, he allegedly confessed to involvement in kidnapping and vehicle theft.
Although he was subsequently arraigned and remanded in custody, authorities said it remains unclear how he later regained freedom before allegedly becoming involved in another kidnapping case.
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