Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, who briefed journalists in Ibadan on Sunday, said the operation was jointly executed by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), the Oyo State Police Command and other tactical units of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the police chief, the victims were abducted on June 3, 2026, at Elewura Street, off Ring Road, Ibadan, while Mrs. Adegoke was taking her 11-year-old twin sons to school.
Abimbola said the Command immediately launched a coordinated manhunt following directives from the Inspector-General of Police, leading to a series of intelligence breakthroughs that exposed the criminal network behind the abduction.
The investigation first led to the arrest of one Wale Abolalewa, popularly known as “Oloro,” a suspect already on the police watchlist. His arrest, the commissioner said, opened up the wider kidnapping network and led to the arrest of another key suspect, Dare Oyedele, alias “Solution.”
Preliminary findings revealed that members of the syndicate had attempted to recruit an insider within the victim’s household in May as part of a broader surveillance operation. Investigators discovered that the gang closely monitored the family’s movements, daily routines and the schools attended by the children before carrying out the abduction.
Police further uncovered photographs and other digital evidence showing detailed reconnaissance of the family’s lifestyle and movements.
The intelligence gathering eventually led operatives to a hideout at Lado community in the Ayegun area of Ibadan.
Abimbola explained that on June 6, operatives stormed the location in a carefully coordinated rescue mission.
“Upon sighting the advancing operatives, one of the gang members identified as Kelechi, who came from Lagos State and acted as a lookout, engaged our officers in a gun duel. The operatives responded effectively, resulting in the neutralisation of Kelechi and another unidentified gang member,” he said.
The commissioner added that the victims were rescued unharmed and reunited with their family after being placed in protective custody.
He disclosed that two principal suspects, Abolalewa and Oyedele, are assisting investigators, while two additional suspects identified as Semiu Ishola, 39, and Adeyemi Ayobami, 35, were arrested for allegedly facilitating the use of the criminal hideout.
Items recovered from the suspects included three pump-action guns, 14 live cartridges, the unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly used for the operation, a battle axe, a hammer, face masks, charms and substances suspected to be hard drugs.
The commissioner said efforts had been intensified to apprehend other members of the syndicate who escaped during the operation, noting that some of them were believed to have sustained gunshot injuries.
He appealed to hospitals, traditional bone setters and other healthcare providers to report anyone presenting suspicious gunshot wounds to the nearest police station.
Abimbola also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security agencies, stressing that intelligence supplied by members of the public remains critical to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and vowed that all criminal elements operating within Oyo State would be tracked down and brought to justice.
