Oyo State Demolishes Kidnappers' Den After Rescue of Ex-Minister Adelabu's Relatives

Following the successful rescue of the sister and twin sons of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the Oyo State Government has levelled the Ibadan hideout where the victims were held captive.

The Oyo State Government on Monday commenced the demolition of a building used as a den by a notorious kidnapping syndicate in the Lakoun community, along the Ayegun-Olojuoro Road in Ibadan.

The demolished structure served as the operational base where Mrs Olaide Adegoke John-Paul, the younger sister of the former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her 12-year-old twin sons were held hostage before their rescue over the weekend.

The decision to flatten the criminal hideout followed a high-powered security assessment of the site led by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Oluwagbemiga Abimbola, on Sunday.

Footage of the demolition, showing the building being levelled to the ground by heavy machinery, has since gone viral on social media, with local platforms confirming the state's zero-tolerance stance on properties used for illicit activities.

The demolition comes on the heels of a major breakthrough by security operatives. During the rescue operation on Saturday, police operatives engaged the abductors in a gun duel, resulting in the death of two members of the kidnapping syndicate.

Subsequently, four surviving suspects were arrested and paraded on Sunday at the State Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.

While updating the public, the police authorities urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities or fleeing members of the syndicate to security agencies.

The demolition of the property aligns with the state's anti-kidnapping laws, which empower the government to confiscate and destroy any property proven to be used for kidnapping or other related criminal enterprises.