Gunmen have abducted the sister of former Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Adebayo Adelabu, alongside her twin sons in Ibadan.

The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday morning in the Challenge area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.

An eyewitness told PUNCH Online that the victims were taken at about 7:30 a.m. while the woman was on her way to drop her children at school.

Confirming the development, media aide to Adelabu, Femi Awogboro, said the abducted woman, identified as Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, was seized alongside her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul.

He said the family had already contacted security agencies, adding that efforts were underway to ensure their safe rescue.

According to the statement, “Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, aged 43, was reportedly abducted by armed gunmen at about 7:30 a.m. while on her way to drop her children at school in Ibadan. The abductors also forcefully took away her twin sons who were with her at the time of the incident.”

The family added that security operatives had commenced preliminary investigations and were working to track down the abductors and secure the release of the victims.

They also expressed distress over the incident but said they remained hopeful that security agencies would ensure the safe return of the victims.

“The family is deeply distressed but confident that security agencies will secure their safe release,” the statement added.

The statement urged members of the public to avoid speculation and refrain from spreading unverified information that could interfere with ongoing investigations.

Residents were also encouraged to report any useful information to security authorities to aid rescue efforts.

The abduction adds to a growing list of similar incidents in Oyo State in recent months, including the kidnapping of over 40 teachers and pupils during a coordinated attack in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.

Security agencies are yet to issue an official detailed briefing on the latest incident as investigations continue.

The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Northwest region has risen sharply to nearly 800,000, driven largely by escalating insecurity and banditry across several states, according to new data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The PUNCH reports that IDP figures in the region increased by 143,189 persons within six months, marking a 22 per cent rise between December 2025 and May 2026.

The latest figures, published in the UNHCR Nigeria Forcibly Displaced Populations dashboard, show that the Northwest now hosts 793,534 displaced persons, up from 650,345 recorded in December 2025.

The dashboard is jointly produced by UNHCR and the Federal Government through the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, drawing data from registration records, biometric enrolment, field assessments, and contributions from agencies including the Nigeria Immigration Service, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the Displacement Tracking Matrix.

Sokoto, Zamfara Drive Surge

Sokoto State recorded the most dramatic increase, with its IDP population more than doubling from 88,562 in February 2026 to 181,526 in March 2026—an increase of 92,964 persons, representing a 105 per cent spike.

Zamfara State, which remains one of the epicentres of banditry, also saw a significant rise, adding 74,648 displaced persons within the period. Its total climbed from 204,576 to 279,224, a 36.5 per cent increase.

Together, Sokoto and Zamfara account for the majority of the displacement surge in the region.

Mixed Trends Across Other States

In contrast, Katsina State recorded a decline in displacement figures, dropping from 235,898 to 206,071 IDPs—a reduction of 29,827 persons, or 12.6 per cent.

Kaduna State, however, saw a modest increase, rising by 4,653 displaced persons from 110,813 to 115,466.

The report also shows that Nigerian refugees from the Northwest registered in neighbouring Niger Republic increased from 258,359 to 268,967 within the same period.

Nationwide Displacement Picture

Across Nigeria, the total number of internally displaced persons now stands at 3,711,314 as of May 2026. The UNHCR estimates that Nigeria accounts for 3.5 per cent of the world’s 117 million forcibly displaced persons.

Banditry and communal violence in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara continue to disrupt farming activities, markets, and access to basic services, displacing nearly 1.4 million people—many of whom now live in host communities.

Rising Violence and Casualties

The increase in displacement follows intensified attacks in the region. In the first half of 2025 alone, at least 2,266 people were killed by insurgents or armed groups, exceeding the total fatalities recorded in 2024.

Broader security data indicates that over 10,217 people have been killed in attacks across Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara states during the first two years of the current administration.

The emergence of armed groups such as Lakurawa, reportedly linked to Islamic State Sahel Province, has further complicated the security situation, with cross-border operations extending into Niger and Mali.

Government Response and Humanitarian Efforts

In response to the crisis, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Northwest Governors’ Forum and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched state-level adoption of the National Policy on IDPs and action plans for Katsina and Zamfara in February 2026.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has also expanded humanitarian operations beyond the Northeast to cover affected Northwest states.

Outlook

Despite ongoing military operations and government assurances, insecurity remains a major driver of displacement in the region. The UNHCR data underscores the continuing humanitarian pressure in the Northwest, where thousands of families remain uprooted amid persistent attacks and instability.

The abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has triggered nationwide outrage, with protests spreading across several states and renewed calls by lawmakers for state police and broader security reforms.

Demonstrations were held in the Federal Capital Territory, Edo, Rivers, Cross River, Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Osun, Lagos, Niger, Kano, and other states as teachers, labour unions, students, and civil society groups demanded urgent government action.

The protests followed the May 15 attack in Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, where armed men stormed three schools and abducted pupils and teachers, leaving families in distress.

The incident has revived memories of the Chibok and Dapchi school kidnappings, raising fresh concerns over the safety of schools across Nigeria.

Resuming plenary after the Sallah recess, the Senate on Tuesday observed a one-minute silence in honour of two teachers and a pupil killed during the attack.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the incident as an assault on Nigeria’s future and collective humanity.

“We resume our work under the mournful shadow of a tragedy that has shaken our nation. The abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State is not merely an attack on innocent citizens; it is an assault on our collective humanity,” he said.

Akpabio said the country’s future was threatened when children and teachers could no longer be protected.

“We mourn because if we cannot protect our children, we imperil our future. We mourn because a nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its teachers weakens the very foundations upon which education rests,” he added.

The Senate President paid tribute to mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who reportedly died in captivity, Adesiyan Adegboye, who was killed during the attack, and a pupil who also lost his life.

Despite the tragedy, Akpabio expressed hope that security agencies would secure the release of those still in captivity and cautioned politicians against politicising the incident.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure the immediate release of 42 students abducted from Mussa Ward in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

The lawmakers also demanded the urgent implementation of a comprehensive national Safe Schools Security Framework to protect educational institutions across the country.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Midala Balami, representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency.

“The safety of our children and the protection of education must remain a national priority. Our children deserve to learn in an environment free from fear,” Balami said.

The House further renewed calls for the decentralisation of policing, with lawmakers insisting that state police had become necessary to tackle growing insecurity.

Leading the debate, Ayodeji Alao-Akala, representing Ogbomosho North/Ogbomosho South/Orire Federal Constituency, described the killing of teacher Michael Oyedokun as barbaric and alarming.

He warned that forests around the Old Oyo National Park had become safe havens for criminal groups operating across state and international borders.

In Abuja, teachers protesting at the Federal Capital Territory Administration Secretariat demanded urgent government intervention.

Addressing the demonstrators, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, assured them that security agencies were working to rescue the abducted victims.

“We are all concerned about this security situation. The government is on its toes to ensure that those who are kidnapped are rescued,” Wike said.

He, however, urged Nigerians not to politicise insecurity, stressing that the challenge affected everyone.

In Lagos, teachers marched to the State House of Assembly where Speaker Mudashiru Obasa renewed calls for state policing, insisting that localised policing would improve security response.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State also appealed for unity, describing the abduction as a moment of national distress.

“This is a time of national distress. It is not the time to trade blame. It is not the time to play politics,” Makinde said while addressing protesters led by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and National Association of Nigerian Students.

He disclosed that security forces and intelligence agencies were working to track the abductors and rescue the victims.

Across the country, teachers and labour unions intensified pressure on the government through solidarity rallies and advocacy campaigns.

In Ogun State, protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Set our teachers, pupils free from captivity” and “Nigeria, our blackboards are turning into graveyards.”

The National Vice-President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Titilope Adebanjo, warned that insecurity was threatening the future of education.

“Teachers are in the classes with fear, students are in the classes with fear. This is not supposed to be,” she said.

In Edo State, teachers marched through Benin City carrying placards reading “Teachers’ Lives Matter” and “The Classroom Must Not Become a Battlefield.”

The Edo NUT chairman, Lucky Imaruagheru, criticised what he described as government silence over the killings and kidnappings.

Teachers in Benue, Adamawa, Niger, Kano, and other states also joined the nationwide demonstrations, demanding immediate rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Ogbomoso intensified advocacy efforts, insisting that the prolonged captivity of the victims was unacceptable.

The association said it had mobilised stakeholders for prayers, awareness campaigns, and engagement aimed at securing the release of the abducted victims.

The growing fear over school safety also triggered panic in Osun State after rumours of a bandit invasion spread across parts of the state, forcing many parents to withdraw their children from school temporarily.

Governor Ademola Adeleke later dismissed the reports as false and assured residents that schools remained safe.

The wave of protests came as the Nigeria Police Trust Fund urged the Senate to increase its statutory allocation from 0.5 per cent to one per cent to support modern policing infrastructure, including drones, surveillance systems, forensic laboratories, and digital intelligence tools.

The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Mohammed Sheidu, said the investment was necessary to combat kidnapping, terrorism, and organised crime across the country.