Tinubu’s Aide Defends Ex-Minister Adelabu’s Abducted Sister, Nephews’ Quick Rescue

Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has defended the swift rescue of the sister of the immediate-past Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons, from kidnappers’ den, insisting that comparisons between their case and the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers bandidts in Ogbomosoland were misplaced.

Ajayi made the remarks in a post shared on his verified Facebook page on Sunday morning, a day after Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, regained their freedom following a police rescue operation.

Reacting to public criticism over the speed of the rescue operation against the backdrop of weeks of captivity of the schoolchildren, Ajayi argued that the circumstances surrounding the Adelabu family’s abduction differed significantly from those involving the Ogbomoso schoolchildren and their teachers who still remained in captivity.

“Those who are comparing the Adelabu’s sister and her twins situation to the Ogbomoso kids and their teachers are totally wrong,” Ajayi wrote.

According to him, the nature of the crimes and the criminals involved make the two incidents fundamentally different.

“It is wrong to compare the urban gang of kidnappers who engage in copycat crime to make money and hide victims inside a flat within the community to a band of terrorists operating deep inside the bush,” he stated.

Ajayi further stressed that the motivations and operational methods of the two groups were not the same.

“The two set of criminals have different motivations and agenda,” he added.

The presidential aide also dismissed claims that security agencies were being selective in their response to kidnapping cases, expressing confidence that authorities were working to secure the release of the Ogbomoso schoolchildren and teachers.

“The Ogbomoso children and their teachers will be rescued, and government/security agencies are not selective as falsely claimed,” he wrote.

He maintained that the security strategy adopted in each case must reflect the peculiar circumstances surrounding the abductions.

“The approach to the two incidents can’t be the same,” Ajayi said.

While celebrating the rescue of Adelabu’s relatives, he urged Nigerians to continue praying for those still being held captive.

“We should be happy that the woman and his twins are safely home while we pray for quicker rescue of those still in the bush with their abductors,” he added.

The Nigeria Police Force had rescued the three victims during a late-night operation around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday after days of intelligence gathering and tactical operations.

LEADERSHIP reports that Mrs John-Paul and her children were abducted on June 3, 2026, while on their way to school in Ibadan, Oyo State capital. Security operatives had engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle, killing two suspects in the process and recovering two firearms, while efforts continued to track down other members of the gang.