By Adeola Badru
The camp of former minister of power, Bayo Adelabu, has warned individuals allegedly linking his personal assistant, Ajiboye Sangogade, to the kidnapping of Adelabu’s younger sister and her twin sons, insisting the claims are entirely false and could result in legal consequences.
In a statement released in Ibadan yesterday, Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, dismissed the allegations as a deliberate attempt to damage Sangogade’s reputation, stressing that the aide had no connection whatsoever to the abduction of Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her twin sons, Peter and Paul.
Awogboro accused those behind the claims of fabricating a narrative for political purposes and urged them to stop spreading what he described as baseless rumours or face legal action.
According to him, certain individuals whom he labelled “enemies of progress and of the state” have been circulating allegations that Sangogade masterminded the kidnapping of Adelabu’s sister and nephews in Ibadan.
He pointed to the recent statement and media briefing by the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, noting that the police never mentioned Sangogade as a suspect or member of the kidnapping syndicate.
“The recent press statement and interview by the state police public relations officer concerning the kidnapping incident completely exonerated Sangogade, as his name was never mentioned in connection with the crime,” Awogboro stated.
He challenged those promoting the allegations to identify any part of the police briefing where Sangogade was implicated, maintaining that the police spokesperson only referred to an individual named Segun and never linked Adelabu’s aide to the case.
Awogboro further argued that the accusations were politically motivated, warning against the growing tendency to politicise every issue.
He said the police account of events had already exposed the claims as false, adding that the same group had previously accused Adelabu of handing the APC ticket for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election to Sangogade, despite the fact that the party eventually selected Wale Olatunji as its candidate.
“These same people falsely claimed that Adelabu ceded the party ticket to his PA, who is not even from the constituency. In the end, Wale Olatunji emerged as the party’s flag bearer. This is not the first time they have spread misinformation and rumours,” he said.
Awogboro, therefore, urged members of the public and party supporters not to be deceived by what he described as repeated attempts to mislead them.
Defending Sangogade’s character, he described him as a respected individual with an impeccable reputation, pedigree and track record.
He maintained that Adelabu’s aide neither knew anything about the kidnapping nor had any involvement in it, insisting that those spreading the allegations were engaging in character assassination.
“We reject the claim completely because we know he neither knows nor played any role in the incident being speculated about. Any further attempt to tarnish Sangogade’s image and reputation will be strongly resisted, and the camp will ensure that anyone found responsible is brought to justice,” he added.
The kidnapping at the centre of the controversy occurred in the early hours of June 3, when Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her twin sons were abducted by armed men in Ibadan.
The victims were seized at Elewura-Challenge in the Ibadan South-West Local Government Area after gunmen reportedly trailed the vehicle conveying them from their residence before intercepting it at about 7:30am.
Four suspects linked to the abduction were subsequently arrested and paraded by Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Oluwagbemiga Abimbola, at the state police headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, on June 7.
During the parade, the police chief appealed to residents to remain vigilant and assist security agencies by reporting any fleeing members of the kidnapping network.
Recovered items displayed by the police included three pump-action rifles, 14 live cartridges, an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla allegedly used during the operation, criminal charms, a battle axe, a hammer, substances suspected to be hard drugs and two face masks.
Following the arrests, the Oyo State Government demolished the building linked to the suspects in the early hours of June 8 and revoked ownership of the land.
