A suspected kidnap gang member has confessed to helping mastermind the abduction of former minister Adebayo Adelabu’s sister and her twin sons, revealing how the victims were placed under weeks of surveillance before the operation.
Fresh details have emerged on the kidnap of former Minister of Power Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s sister, Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke, and her twin sons, following the arrest of key suspects linked to the operation.
According to Saturday Tribune, one of the suspects, Segun Balogun, popularly known as Alawaye, confessed to helping the gang carry out reconnaissance on the family before the June 3 abduction.
Balogun, a commercial driver at the Iwo Road Motor Park in Ibadan, allegedly used his driving skills to transport gang members to operations and move victims to designated hideouts.
Police investigations revealed that the kidnap plot began as far back as May 5, with gang members mounting surveillance on the victims’ residence, school and daily movements.
Another suspect, Dare Oyedele, alias Solution, allegedly coordinated intelligence gathering for the gang. Investigators said he monitored the twins’ school routine, studied security arrangements around their residence and relayed critical information to gang leader Adewale Abolarinwa, popularly known as Oloro.
Intercepted communications reportedly exposed the gang’s preparations, including discussions about the children’s school and movement patterns.
Further findings indicated that Solution helped secure the house in Ayegun Community that was converted into a kidnappers’ den. During a search of his residence, police reportedly recovered a pump-action gun, bringing the total number of weapons seized from the gang to three.
The breakthrough came after intelligence operatives became suspicious of Oloro’s activities and intensified surveillance around his associates.
Investigators reportedly discovered incriminating messages on Balogun’s phone while questioning him about Oloro’s whereabouts, leading to his detention and eventual confession.
Speaking from custody, Balogun admitted knowing Oloro for over a decade through the transport union.
“Oloro asked me if Adebayo Adelabu still had a mother, and I said yes. He asked me again about where she was living and I told him,” the suspect reportedly confessed.
The victims were eventually rescued by police operatives during a coordinated operation following directives from Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
The arrests have shed new light on the meticulous planning behind one of Ibadan’s most high-profile kidnapping cases in recent months.
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