Armed gunmen have abducted Olaide John-Paul, the younger sister of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, along with her twin sons in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Femi Awogboro, one of Adelabu’s media aides, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Wednesday, stating that John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, were taken by armed men on Wednesday morning.
According to the statement, the 43-year-old mother was intercepted and abducted at around 7:30 AM while driving her children to school in Ibadan.
“The abductors also forcefully took away her 12-year-old twin sons who were with her at the time of the incident,” the statement reads.
Awogboro noted that John-Paul is the youngest of Olufunmilayo Adelabu’s five children.
Before voluntarily retiring last year, she worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and First Bank Pension Custodian.
“Following her retirement, she relocated to Ibadan with her children while making preparations to eventually join her husband, John Paul, who had earlier relocated to the United States of America,” the media aide added.
Security and law enforcement agencies were alerted immediately following the attack and have launched an active investigation.
“We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have commenced in earnest,” the statement added.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of those responsible for this heinous crime.”
The spokesperson stated that former minister Adelabu and the entire family are deeply distressed by the incident but maintain hope that security forces will secure their safe release.
Awogboro urged the public to stay calm and refrain from sharing rumors that could disrupt the rescue mission.
“The family respectfully appeals to members of the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and refrain from circulating unverified information that may jeopardize ongoing security operations,” he said.
He further called on anyone with actionable information to report it through the right channels to assist law enforcement, promising that the family will cooperate fully with the authorities and share updates as the situation develops.
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