I'm deeply distressed, says former Power Minister as Gunmen snatch Sister, Twin Sons in Ibadan

Gunmen on Wednesday morning kidnapped, Olaide Adegoke John-Paul, 43, the younger sister of Bayo Adelabu, former Minister of Power and a governorship aspirant in Oyo State.

Also abducted with the minister’s sister were her twin sons, Peter and Paul, aged 12, who were being conveyed to school.

John-Paul is described as the youngest of five children of Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred at the Bolumole area of Ring Road in Ibadan.

Femi Awogboro, the media aide to Adelabu, in a statement issued in Ibadan, confirmed the incident to journalists.

According to the statement, the incident occurred at 7:30 a.m. while John-Paul was on her way to drop the children at school.

“Armed gunmen intercepted Mrs John-Paul in Ibadan and forcefully took her away with the twins, who were with her at the time,” he said.

The abduction has sent shockwaves through the family and the wider political community in Oyo State, given Adelabu’s prominence as a former minister and APC governorship hopeful.

Awogboro said that the incident has been reported to all relevant security and law enforcement agencies.

Reacting to the incident, Adelabu said that the family was deeply distressed by the development but remain hopeful for the safe release of the victims.

They urged Nigerians to keep the family in prayers during this difficult period.

The family also appealed to members of the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and refrain from circulating unverified information that could jeopardise ongoing security operations.

They stressed the need for caution in sharing details on social media.

When contacted Olayinka Alayande, the Police Public Relations Officer, said that  investigation into the abduction had commenced.

Ayanlade assured members of the public that all necessary resources have been deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of those responsible for this criminal act.

“Following the report of the incident, the Commissioner of Police, immediately directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Challenge Division, alongside other tactical teams, to proceed to the scene where the victim’s vehicle was recovered and to commence intensive investigations.

“Investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Command urges residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and cooperative with the Police by providing any useful information that may assist ongoing investigations, “he said.

Credit NAN: Texts excluding Headline

Sulaiman Aledeh's Ground Zero: Why Nigeria often struggles to become all it can be...

Twenty-four hours ago, I arrived at Ground Zero. Not a place of defeat. Not a place of surrender. A place of reckoning.

I came into a system with something. I left with nothing—because I poured everything I had into it. My energy. My experience. My ideas. My conviction. My time.

And in the process, I learned a few uncomfortable lessons about why Nigeria often struggles to become all it can be.

Too often, those who build are discarded when the building is complete. Too often, loyalty is rewarded with suspicion, while mediocrity and opportunism find protection.

Too often, people are encouraged to take what they can because they fear that honest labour will ultimately go unrewarded.

But Ground Zero is not the end. Ground Zero is where rebuilding begins.

It is the point after the storm has passed and the dust has settled. The point where illusions disappear and reality stands naked before you.

The point where pain becomes perspective and betrayal becomes instruction.

Like the weather, change does not always arrive gently. Some seasons cool the skin; others leave scars. This season has done both.

Yet here I stand. Wiser. Stronger. Clearer.

I carry the lessons, especially those about trust, loyalty, and the true nature of people. I have learned that faithfulness is rare, and that sometimes the loyalty of a dog exceeds the loyalty of many humans.

But I refuse to become bitter. Ground Zero is not where my story ends.

It is where the next chapter begins.

And this time, I build again—better, stronger, wiser, and with my eyes wide open.

Protesting Workers back to Work at NUPRC as Unions call off Strike

Work has fully resumed at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) following the suspension of the one-day strike embarked upon by the union members.

Eniola Akinkuotu, Head, Media and Corporate Communications, NUPRC in a statement on Tuesday said that the industrial action was called off on Monday night after a successful negotiation between NUPRC management and the two in-house unions.

“It was called off after a successful negotiation between the top management of the NUPRC, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG),” he said.

Akinkuotu said that the strike, which lasted for 12 hours, affected only administrative work while regulatory activities in the oil and gas facilities were unaffected.

“The Commission, therefore, call on members of the public to disregard false reports on crude oil production disruptions as well as misleading publications stating that the disagreement centered on foreign training.

“Lastly, the NUPRC promised to improve the operating environment of its workforce and prioritise staff development in line with the Petroleum Industry Act,” he said.

Members of PENGASSAN had on Monday blocked access to the NUPRC’s headquarters in protest of alleged irregularities in foreign training placements, forcing suspension of administrative services.

A competent source within the commission said the disagreement was caused by the management’s decision to prioritise local training programmes over foreign capacity-building initiatives.

He said that the workers opposed it and insisted that overseas training programmes should continue.

The source said that the commission had argued that conducting specialised training within Nigeria would help reduce costs while strengthening domestic institutional capacity.

Credit NAN: Texts excluding Headline