JUST IN: HOW ADELABU’S SISTER, TWINS WERE TRACKED AND KIDNAPPED IN IBADAN
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Before his arrest by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) and tactical teams of the Oyo State Police Command, Segun Balogun, popularly known as Alawaye, was widely known as a commercial driver operating from the Iwo Road Motor Park in Ibadan, Oyo State.
To fellow drivers and passengers, he appeared to be an ordinary transporter earning a living by conveying commuters to various destinations. However, investigators say Balogun secretly became involved in kidnapping activities, using his driving skills to support a criminal gang responsible for several operations within and around Ibadan.
Balogun is among suspects arrested over the abduction of Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke, sister of the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons, who were kidnapped on June 3.
The victims were rescued last Saturday from a hideout in the Lako community along Ayegun-Olomi Road, Ibadan, during a coordinated police operation launched following directives from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Also arrested in connection with the crime were the alleged gang leader, Adewale Abolarinwa, popularly known as Oloro, and Dare Oyedele, alias Solution, an automobile electrician who was well known in the Orita Challenge and Podo areas of Ibadan.
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According to police investigations, the kidnapping operation was meticulously planned weeks before it was executed. Security sources disclosed that surveillance on the Adelabu family began on May 5, with gang members closely monitoring the movements of the twins, their school activities, the vehicle conveying them, and security arrangements around the family residence.
Investigators said Solution played a major role in intelligence gathering, allegedly tracking the children’s daily routines and relaying information to Oloro. Intercepted communications between members of the gang reportedly revealed detailed discussions about the target, including observations about the children’s school, the family compound, and the movement of household members.
Further investigations showed that Solution allegedly assisted the gang in securing a rented property in the Ayegun area which was later converted into a hideout where the victims were held after the abduction.
A search of his residence reportedly led to the recovery of a pump-action gun, bringing the total number of firearms recovered from the gang to three.
In his confession, Balogun admitted that he had known Oloro for more than a decade through their association in the transport sector. He claimed that after reconnecting with the suspect in recent years, Oloro gradually introduced him to the kidnapping scheme.
Balogun said Oloro initially asked him about the whereabouts of Adelabu’s mother before requesting that he identify the family residence. According to him, he later learned that the gang planned to kidnap a member of the family for ransom.
He confessed that he agreed to participate after being promised financial rewards and was assigned the role of driving the operational vehicle used during the kidnapping.
On the day of the operation, Balogun said he drove the vehicle carrying Oloro and other gang members. After spotting the vehicle conveying the victims, the gang allegedly intercepted it, forcefully abducted the woman and her twin sons, and transported them to the hideout.
The suspect claimed that he left the scene after delivering the victims to the location and later became fearful about the consequences of his actions.
Police sources disclosed that Balogun’s arrest came after operatives investigating Oloro’s whereabouts became suspicious of his conduct while being questioned. Officers reportedly discovered incriminating messages on his phone relating to firearm transactions involving the gang leader.
Subsequent investigations linked him directly to the kidnapping operation.
Solution also confessed to participating in the crime, admitting that he joined Oloro during surveillance activities and accompanied the gang during the abduction. He said he helped monitor the family’s movements and was present when the victims were seized.
According to him, members of the gang used masks during the operation and were armed with pump-action guns and other weapons.
Security sources said intelligence gathering on Oloro intensified after authorities linked him to a string of kidnapping incidents in Ibadan and neighbouring communities.
Investigators also discovered that the suspect had a criminal history and had previously been arrested and prosecuted for kidnapping-related offences before allegedly returning to crime after regaining his freedom.
Police said ongoing investigations are aimed at uncovering the full extent of the gang’s operations, identifying additional accomplices, and determining possible links to other kidnapping incidents in Oyo State and beyond.
Authorities have reiterated their commitment to dismantling kidnapping networks operating across the state and ensuring that all those connected to the crime are brought to justice.
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