The goal was to k!dnap the former Power Minister's mother – Suspect confesses

One of the suspects arrested for the abduction of Mrs Busayo Olaide—sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu—and her twin sons, Paul and Peter, has confessed to the crime, revealing that the gang’s initial target was the former minister’s mother.

In an interview with Nigerian Tribune from police custody, the suspect, Segun Balogun (also known as Alawaye), detailed his role as the gang’s operational driver and opened up about his membership in the syndicate.

“I’m a driver who transports passengers from Iwo Road Motor Park at World Oil axis. I didn’t start the operation with the gang from the onset. I have known the gang leader, Adewale Abolarinwa aka Oloro, for more than 10 years in our transport union. At one point, he committed some crimes and was arrested and remanded. Later, we heard that he was in Lagos.

Along the line, he returned to Ibadan. One day, I saw him at Iwo Road Motor Park. It was in 2025. He gave me his phone number and some money. We used to chat.

On a particular day, the transport union chairman and I were discussing Oloro, wondering what he was doing as a job.  Before then, a police officer who had been looking for Oloro had told us that he jumped bail. We called him, and he came to us. We discussed his atrocities with him, and he promised not to do such again. He even placed a curse on himself if he ever committed a crime again.

Oloro started frequenting the motor park. Then, we started discussing the upcoming elections and campaigns. In 2019, Oloro and I worked for (name withheld). When he did not win (the governorship), I left the motor park.

This time (2026/27), we decided to work for the 2019 candidate who did not win, and we used to call one another. However, at one time, he (Oloro) was not responding to my calls frequently, as he said he was busy in Lagos. On his return to Ibadan, he stopped coming to the political group’s outings.

Recently, Oloro moved to the camp (of the man who won the primary, name withheld), but I told them I would stay with (the old governorship aspirant, name withheld). However, that didn’t stop us from interacting. One day, in May, while we sat together, Oloro asked me if (Adebayo) Adelabu still had a mother, and I said yes. He asked me again about where she was living and I told him. He said I should take him to the place. One day we went to Liberty Stadium for (an aspirant’s) declaration. From there, we proceeded to Adelabu’s mother’s house.

After showing him the house, he opened up to me that he was planning to kidnap the mother or a child from the Adelabu family. The reason he gave was that he was broke. He asked me to join him also, pointing out that I was also broke and just driving without making much money. He promised to pay me well and I agreed to join him. My role was to drive the vehicle used for the kidnap operation.

On Tuesday, June 2, he called and told me that the operation would be carried out the following day. He described the spot where I would join him along expressway at Soka area. After we met on Wednesday, we left for Podo area where Solution was domiciled. From Podo, we left for Challenge. We were four in the operational vehicle — Oloro, Solution, Kelechi and me. I was the driver while three others were masked. We parked the car for about 20 minutes, waiting for the car conveying the children to school to pass by. Oloro had thought that a driver would be the one with the children. The twins were his target to collect ransom.

As Oloro saw the targeted car, he asked me to follow it, then directed me to swerve and block it at the front. He and two others got down and bundled the mother and the children into our operational car. I drove the car to Ayegun, got down and left others. My heart was pumping hard. Inwardly, I was so afraid. Since that day till now, I have been unable to eat. I have been drinking water only.”

On how he was arrested, Segun said

“On Thursday, I was called by a police officer and a member of our transport union. I was told to enter the police vehicle. There, I was told that they were searching for Oloro. My heart flustered, but I also knew he had other issues, so I suggested we call him. We did, but he didn’t pick the calls. Later, he sent me a voice note, and the police took the phone from me. They heard other voice notes in which Oloro complained to me about the person he wanted to buy a gun from, but who took the money without giving him the gun. That was how the police officers said I knew about the gun purchase by Oloro. I was arrested, after which the police got to know about my involvement in the kidnapping on Saturday when Oloro was captured.”

A prime kidnapping suspect, Oloro, has been moved from police custody to a hospital after staging a severe hunger strike since his arrest last Sunday.

 The alleged gang leader refused food, water, and sanitation, ultimately requiring emergency medical intervention. Authorities note that the suspect, who has a prior conviction for kidnapping, is currently refusing to cooperate with medical staff.

Oloro has in the past been convicted and sentenced for k!dnapping.