Oyo Security Crisis: Former Minister’s Sister Rescued in Ibadan, While False Claims Cloud Ongoing School Abduction Search

​IBADAN, OYO STATE — It has been a weekend of fast-paced security developments in Oyo State. While police operatives successfully broke through a criminal hideout in Ibadan to rescue the sister and twin sons of a former minister, authorities are simultaneously battling a wave of fake news regarding the mass abduction of students and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area.

Police Firefight Rescues Former Minister Adelabu’s Sister and Twins

​In a major tactical victory, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force successfully rescued Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul—the younger sister of the immediate past Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu—along with her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul.

​The family had been violently intercepted by armed gunmen at around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the Elewura area of Challenge, Ibadan, while Mrs. John-Paul was driving her children to school.

​The breakthrough came at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Following days of sustained intelligence tracking and heavy tactical pressure, police operatives forced the kidnapping syndicate into a fierce gun duel.

​The Outcome: Two suspected kidnappers were neutralized (killed) during the shootout. Operatives recovered two firearms at the scene, while the mother and her twin sons were brought out alive and unharmed.

​Security forces are currently combing the surrounding bushes and border areas of Ibadan to track down fleeing members of the gang, several of whom are believed to have escaped with critical gunshot wounds.

​Fact Check: Abducted Oyo Schoolchildren and Teachers Still in Captivity

​While the Ibadan rescue has brought relief to the Adelabu family, the Oyo State Police Command has issued an urgent public warning debunking viral social media claims that the 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted from the Oriire Local Government Area have been released.

​Reports began flooding Facebook and WhatsApp over the weekend claiming a "conditional release" or successful rescue of the victims from the Ahoro-Esiele, Yawota, and Ahoro communities. State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, flatly rejected these viral reports, labeling them completely false, misleading, and unsubstantiated.

​The Reality on the Ground:

• ​The Incident: On May 15, 2026, armed bandits (later confirmed by Defence Headquarters to be a Boko Haram faction) stormed three schools in Oriire LGA on motorcycles, abducting 46 people. Tragically, one teacher, Joel Adesiyan, was killed while in captivity.

• ​Current Status: As of today, the remaining victims have spent over three weeks in the forest.
• ​The Stand on Negotiations: While indirect contacts regarding ransom demands have reportedly occurred, the Oyo State House of Assembly and local security structures have heavily resisted negotiating with the terrorists. Public school teachers across Oyo State remain on an indefinite strike to pressure authorities for a swift rescue.

​The police command emphasized that spreading false rumors of a "conditional release" compromises ongoing undercover operations and risks the lives of the children. Joint forces—including the Military, Police, and Amotekun corps—are actively pushing deeper into identified forest zones where the victims are believed to be held.

​Editor's Note for Readers: We urge our community to rely strictly on verified state channels during this delicate security window. Refrain from sharing unconfirmed broadcast updates that could jeopardize tactical rescue missions. Our thoughts remain with the families in Oriire.