Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force found Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons kneeling together on the floor of a dimly lit room during a late-night operation around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026. The family had endured 84 hours in captivity after gunmen abducted them at about 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, while they were heading to school in Ibadan. The victims are the younger sister and nephews of former Minister of Power and Oyo State governorship aspirant, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
The rescue played out in different phases, and footage from the scene captures what reports rarely detail. Phase one began the moment operatives breached the room. Instead of immediate force, the priority was de-escalation. Voices repeated “calm down, calm down, you are safe” to the family before any movement. After three days of confinement, officers focused on reassurance first. The family remained seated together on the floor as instructions were given and the area secured. That choice to speak before acting defined the tone of the operation and separated it from typical tactical coverage.
Phase two was swift extraction. Once the space was deemed stable, the family was moved out of the building into the night. This happened quickly, as tactical protocol demands minimal time at a hostile location. The Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team, FID-IRT, coordinated the operation. During the engagement, Operatives engaged armed suspects hiding within the structure. One of the two suspects was shot and neutralised during the exchange.
Two were neutralised and two rifles were recovered at the scene. Other members of the gang escaped with gunshot wounds and remain the target of an ongoing manhunt. Two suspects were also handcuffed and removed from the building as part of the operation. Speed and precision guided every step.
Phase three was medical checks and handover. The rescued family was taken for evaluation before being reunited with relatives. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, commended the FID-IRT team for professionalism and persistence during the 84-hour intelligence operation. He noted that sustained tracking and tactical pressure forced the kidnappers into confrontation. Medical teams confirmed the family was stable before release to family custody.
The outcome stands in contrast to another active case in Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area. More than 30 schoolchildren and teachers have been held since mid-May, after bandits killed one teacher and beheaded another on video while demanding ransom and Sharia law enforcement. Online reactions have compared the speed of response between the two incidents. Police authorities confirm efforts to arrest all suspects linked to the Adelabu family abduction are ongoing and that intelligence work continues across the state.
