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 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.

The Kogi State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough following the arrest of a key suspect linked to the recent bandits’ attack on Ayegunle Community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area and along the Kabba–Obajana Road.

The Command’s spokesperson, ASP Oyiza Afusat, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, noting that the arrest was made in the early hours of June 1, 2026.

According to her, the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, immediately deployed tactical and operational teams after a distress call was received at about 2:49 a.m. reporting sporadic gunfire in Ayegunle Community.

She said joint security personnel comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Kogi State Vigilante Service, Forest Guards, Civilian Joint Task Force, and other security stakeholders were mobilised to the affected areas.

Preliminary investigations, according to the police, revealed that the attack was masterminded by a notorious bandit leader identified as Batijo, who allegedly ordered the invasion in retaliation for the arrest of some of his associates.

Afusat explained that the traditional ruler of Ayegunle Community, Oba Sunday Omodamori, was the primary target of the attackers, who reportedly planned to abduct him. However, the monarch escaped the attack as he was not at home during the invasion.

The hoodlums reportedly ransacked parts of the community and abducted three residents identified as Ojo Abiodun, Bunmi Sunday, and Chief James Obayomi. Chief Obayomi was later killed while attempting to escape from captivity, while the remaining victims are still being held.

The attackers also blocked the Kabba–Obajana Road and opened fire on moving vehicles in an attempt to stop motorists. During the incident, a container truck driver was shot in both legs, while passengers travelling in two commercial 18-seater buses with registration numbers ENU 444 ZJ and MKD 698 XH were abducted.

Another commercial bus with registration number MKA 837 ZA was also attacked after the driver reportedly refused to stop. A passenger, Abdullahi Hashimu, died on the spot from gunshot wounds, while four others sustained injuries and were taken to medical facilities in Kabba for treatment.

Police said about 30 persons were abducted during the attack, including residents and passengers travelling on the affected buses.

Security operatives, while trailing the fleeing criminals into the forest, reportedly discovered a Fulani settlement where the suspects had taken about 200 rustled cattle.

Afusat stated that sustained bush-combing operations and intelligence-led pursuits forced the hoodlums to abandon about 100 of the stolen cattle.

The operation also led to the arrest of one Ibrahim, described as a core member of Batijo’s criminal network.

“The suspect is currently assisting investigators and has provided useful information regarding the activities and whereabouts of the gang,” the statement said.

The police added that information obtained from the suspect has led to the identification of other gang members, including Aliyu, Lamido, Muhadahire, and Kache, while efforts are ongoing to arrest them and dismantle the syndicate.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, alongside the Director of the DSS in Kogi State and other senior security officers, visited Ayegunle Community to assess the situation and reassure residents.

During the visit, Kankarofi met with the traditional ruler, community leaders, and stakeholders, expressing sympathy over the attack and assuring residents that security agencies were working to rescue all abducted victims and apprehend those responsible.

He commended the collaboration among security agencies and local security groups, noting that the swift response helped disrupt the criminals’ operations, recover rustled cattle, and generate useful intelligence.

The Commissioner reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to strengthening security across the state through intelligence-led policing, inter-agency cooperation, and proactive crime-fighting strategies.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information.