Intelligence led us to kidnappers hideout – Police Commissioner …Governor expected to take action over property used as kidnappers den

The Oyo State Police Command has revealed how the Police tracked down the abductors of relatives of the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, located their hideout and successfully rescued the victims.

Speaking at the kidnappers hideout during an inspection of the residence where the hostages were kept, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, said the operation was driven by intelligence gathered after the abduction incident.

According to the police commissioner, the victims were abducted from town and brought to the secluded location where they were held captive.

“The victims were kidnapped from the town and brought here. It appears they were hidden in this location so that nobody would know their whereabouts,” he stated.

The Commissioner of police further expressed concern that the building used by the kidnappers being located in such an open area within a residential area is of serious concern, noting that it is surprising that suspicious movements around the property had never been reported by residents.

“What is particularly concerning is that this house is situated within a residential area. People had been seeing individuals coming and going, yet no one reported any suspicious activities,” he said.

He added that the rescued victims disclosed during interviews that they could hear activities from neighbouring compounds while inside the building but were unable to leave the premises out of fear of being killed or manhandled by their abductors when caught.

The commissioner stressed the importance of community vigilance, he urged residents to promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.

“This situation is a lesson to all, if you see something, say something. If these activities had been reported earlier, we might have been able to arrest the suspects sooner,” he stated.

Providing more insight into the rescue operation, Olugbenga disclosed that the breakthrough came through technical intelligence gathered after the abduction.

“Following the incident on the 3rd of this month, we gathered technical intelligence. Based on that intelligence, we carried out follow up operations, which led to this outcome. The operation was intelligence-driven,” he explained.

The police commissioner advised residents across the state to cooperate with security agencies by reporting any suspected criminal activities in their communities.

“Whenever residents notice any suspicious or criminal activities around them, they should promptly report them to the relevant security agencies so that appropriate action can be taken,” he said.

Responding to other questions asked by journalists present, that the kidnapping may have been politically motivated, the commissioner said investigations were still ongoing.

“We are still investigating the matter,” he said.

Furthermore, when asked on the possible legal implications for the property allegedly used as a kidnappers den, the commissioner said the public should expect decisive action from the state government.

“The public should be assured that the governor will take a decisive position regarding this matter,” he said.

He also dismissed rumours linking Sunday Igboho to the rescue operation, stating that he was unaware of such claims.