By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Gunmen have abducted the younger sister of former Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Adebayo Adelabu, along with her twin children in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident, which has thrown family members, political associates, and residents into anxiety, reportedly occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at the Elewura area of Challenge in Ibadan.
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Confirming the development, one of Adelabu’s media aides, Mr. Femi Awogboro, disclosed that the victims were taken away by unidentified gunmen during the attack.
“Adelabu’s younger sister, together with her twins, Peter and Paul, were kidnapped this morning by unknown gunmen at Elewura, Challenge, Ibadan,” Awogboro said.
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Details surrounding the abduction remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report. It was not immediately clear whether the kidnappers had established contact with the family or made any ransom demand.
The incident has further heightened concerns over the growing insecurity in parts of Oyo State and Nigeria at large, where cases of kidnapping for ransom have continued to pose serious challenges to law enforcement agencies.
Residents of the area expressed shock over the incident, describing the abduction as disturbing and calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of the victims.
The Merit Newspaper reports that efforts to obtain an official statement from the Oyo State Police Command were ongoing at the time of this report. However, security operatives are expected to launch investigations and manhunt operations aimed at rescuing the victims and apprehending the perpetrators.
The abduction comes amid renewed calls by stakeholders for stronger security measures and enhanced intelligence gathering to combat the rising threat of kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.
As of press time, family members and associates of Adelabu were said to be awaiting further communication from the abductors while hoping for the safe return of the victims.
