…With Oyo school children and teachers still in captivity, gunmen seize ex-power minister, Adelabu’s sister and children.
…Atiku: Attack proves no one is safe in Nigeria
By Yinka Giwa
Fresh concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Oyo State have erupted following the abduction of the younger sister of ex-Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, alongside her twin children in Ibadan.
And in the words of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, no Nigerian is now beyond the reach of kidnappers and terrorists.
The victims were reportedly abducted on Wednesday morning at Elewura in the busy Challenge area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area by unidentified gunmen, in an incident that has heightened sheer panic in Oyo State, virtually next door to Lagos, Nigeria’s economic powerhouse.
Confirming the development, one of Adelabu’s media aides, Femi Awogboro, said the former minister’s sister and her twin children, Peter and Paul, were intercepted and whisked away while travelling from their residence to link the expressway.
“Adelabu’s younger sister, together with her twin children, Peter and Paul, were kidnapped this morning by unknown gunmen at Elewura, Challenge, Ibadan,” Awogboro said.
“The family members were going out this morning from Elewura to link the expressway when they were attacked and whisked away by the unknown kidnappers.”
The latest attack comes barely weeks after one of the most shocking kidnapping incidents in Oyo State’s recent history, when more than 40 teachers and students were abducted during a coordinated assault on schools at Ahoro-Esiele in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.
The Oriire attack sparked outrage across the country, triggering protests by teachers, civil society groups, and parents, while the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) ordered an indefinite strike in public schools over concerns about the safety of educators and pupils.
The incident marked a dangerous escalation in criminal activities within the state, raising fears that the kind of mass school abductions that have plagued parts of northern Nigeria were gradually taking root in the South-West.
The kidnapping of Adelabu’s sister also revived memories of the abduction of a prominent APC chieftain, Wale Oriade, in December 2025.
Oriade was reportedly seized by armed men at about 7:06 p.m. at his office located within PJ Square Shopping Complex beside the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited station at Elewure, along Iyana Ajanla, Akala Expressway, New Garage, Ibadan.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived in a blue Nissan Micra vehicle carrying a driver and an armed accomplice, who forcefully bundled the politician into the car before speeding away.
“The nature of the attack and the precision with which it was carried out have caused deep concern within his community,” an eyewitness had said at the time. He was released in January 2026 after about 39 days in captivity.
On 12 February 2026, a 12-year-old female student was abducted in the Challenge area of Ibadan while on her way to school.
According to the Oyo State Police Command, armed men seized the girl as she alighted from a vehicle near her school around 7:20 a.m. Detectives were immediately deployed, eyewitnesses were interviewed, and an investigation commenced. The case generated widespread concern because it occurred within the state capital rather than a remote rural area.
Although not as large as the Oriire school attack, security agencies have reported several anti-kidnapping operations in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.
In late May 2026, the police announced the rescue of an abducted victim during a joint operation involving security agencies and local hunters in Otu, Oke-Ogun. Three suspected kidnappers were reportedly killed during the operation.
Reacting to Wednesday’s abduction, former Vice-President Atiku described the attack as further evidence of worsening insecurity across Nigeria.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed sympathy with the Adelabu family and said the circumstances surrounding the abduction should alarm every Nigerian.
He noted that the incident occurred in broad daylight at the busy Challenge Bus Stop area of Ibadan, a location where such a crime would ordinarily be difficult to execute.
According to him, the fact that kidnappers could strike in such a prominent part of the state capital without interception highlights both the growing audacity of criminal gangs and the weaknesses in the country’s security architecture.
“At a time when insecurity affects citizens across all walks of life, this incident shows that no one is beyond its reach,” Atiku said.
The former vice-president lamented that kidnappings now affect students, farmers, travellers, political figures, and entire communities, warning that the latest attack should serve as a wake-up call to authorities at all levels.
He argued that while many Nigerians have endured kidnapping and violent crime for years, the growing frequency and brazenness of such incidents raise questions about whether the government is treating the crisis with the urgency it deserves.
Atiku called for a more intelligence-driven security strategy, urging authorities to dismantle kidnapping networks, restore public confidence, and ensure the swift rescue of the victims.
He also extended his prayers and solidarity to the Adelabu family and other Nigerians affected by violent crime.
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