The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the abduction of Mrs. Busayo Adelabu John-Paul, younger sister of former Minister of Power and APC governorship aspirant, Adebayo Adelabu, describing the incident as another disturbing sign of worsening insecurity in the state.
Mrs. John-Paul was reportedly kidnapped alongside her 12-year-old twin sons by armed men in the Elewura-Challenge area of Ibadan on Wednesday morning.
According to reports, the attackers allegedly trailed the victims from their residence before intercepting their vehicle around 7:30 a.m. and whisking them away to an unknown destination.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued in Ibadan by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC called on Governor Seyi Makinde to work closely with security agencies and other critical stakeholders to address the growing wave of kidnappings and violent crimes across the state.
The opposition party expressed concern that the latest incident occurred amid unresolved kidnapping cases involving schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, as well as two staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in the Idi-Ayunre area of Oluyole Local Government Area.
The party urged authorities at the federal, state and local government levels to urgently review and strengthen the state’s security architecture to ensure the protection of lives and property.
“We use this medium to appeal to the relevant authorities at the federal, state and local government levels to take a critical look at the security architecture of Oyo State with a view to tightening all the loose ends and ensuring maximum protection of lives and property regardless of citizens’ background or social status,” the statement read.
The APC demanded the immediate rescue of all victims currently in captivity, including the Oriire school pupils and teachers, the two abducted CRIN staff members, Mrs. Busayo John-Paul and her children.
The party further called for coordinated action between the state government and security agencies to halt what it described as an alarming rise in kidnappings and violent attacks in Oyo State.
According to the APC, residents now live in fear and uncertainty due to the deteriorating security situation.
“No citizen deserves to live in perpetual fear and anxiety as it is the situation with residents of Oyo State at the moment. We call on Governor Makinde to seek help where necessary so that the situation does not degenerate further. As it stands, nobody is safe anywhere in the state and it has never been this bad,” the statement added.
The incident has sparked renewed concerns over public safety in parts of Oyo State, especially amid increasing reports of abductions targeting commuters, schoolchildren and professionals.
