By Prosper Mene
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the abduction of the sister and twin sons of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, describing the incident as a stark reflection of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity crisis.
Gunmen abducted Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul (also referred to as Busayo Adelabu John-Paul), the younger sister of Chief Adelabu, along with her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the Elewura-Challenge area in Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to reports, the victims were attacked while heading out in a red Hyundai sedan near the bustling Challenge area. The gunmen, reportedly in a silver Toyota Corolla, whisked them away, abandoning the family’s vehicle with doors left open. Oyo State Police Command has since recovered the vehicle and deployed tactical teams in a bid to rescue the victims.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed deep solidarity with the Adelabu family and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the victims.
“The abduction of the sister and twin nephews of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, once again demonstrates the worsening state of insecurity in the country,” Atiku said. “No one is safe under the current administration.”
The former Vice President, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, urged security agencies to deploy all available resources to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. He described the brazen daytime operation in a busy part of Ibadan as alarming and indicative of the deteriorating security situation across Nigeria.
The Adelabu family has confirmed the incident and appealed for calm while expressing confidence in security agencies to secure the release of their loved ones.
The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to which Chief Adelabu belongs, also condemned the abduction, urging Governor Seyi Makinde to take decisive steps to address the rising wave of insecurity in the state.
This latest incident has heightened public anxiety in Oyo State, coming amid other recent security breaches, including school abductions near Ogbomoso and attacks on public facilities. Residents have voiced outrage over what many perceive as the government’s inability to stem the tide of urban and rural kidnappings.
Chief Adebayo Adelabu, a prominent APC chieftain and former governorship aspirant in Oyo State, served as Minister of Power under President Bola Tinubu’s administration until his resignation earlier this year.
As of the time of filing this report, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, and the victims’ whereabouts remain unknown. Security operatives continue to intensify efforts to track down the kidnappers.
