By Ado Oyeyemi
The camp of former Minister of Power and Oyo State APC governorship aspirant, Bayo Adelabu, has dismissed allegations linking his personal assistant, Ajiboye Sangogade, to the abduction of Adelabu’s younger sister and her twin sons, describing the claims as baseless, malicious and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, warned individuals spreading the allegation to stop immediately or face legal consequences.
The rebuttal follows the recent abduction of Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, Adelabu’s younger sister, and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, who were kidnapped by armed men in Ibadan before being rescued during a police operation that led to the arrest of suspected members of the gang.
Awogboro maintained that Sangogade had never been identified by the police as a suspect in the case and challenged those behind the allegation to provide evidence to substantiate their claims.
According to him, the Oyo State Police Command’s account of the incident did not mention Sangogade as part of the kidnapping syndicate, thereby clearing him of any wrongdoing.
He accused those circulating the allegation of attempting to gain political advantage while tarnishing the reputation of Adelabu’s aide.
Awogboro further recalled that some of the same individuals had previously claimed that Sangogade was being positioned to secure the All Progressives Congress ticket for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election, a contest eventually won by another candidate.
He insisted that police findings had exposed what he described as fabricated narratives surrounding the incident.
Describing Sangogade as a man of integrity with a credible public record, Awogboro said there was no basis for associating him with the crime.
He stressed that the allegation was being rejected in its entirety, maintaining that Sangogade neither had knowledge of nor participated in the kidnapping.
The spokesman also warned that any further attempt to damage the aide’s reputation would be strongly resisted, adding that legal steps would be taken against anyone found responsible for spreading false claims.
The abduction attracted widespread attention after gunmen reportedly intercepted the victims’ vehicle in the Elewura-Challenge area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area and whisked them away.
The Oyo State Police Command has since arrested four suspects in connection with the incident and recovered weapons, ammunition, a vehicle allegedly used during the operation, and other items believed to be linked to the criminal network.
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The case has sparked renewed calls for restraint in the dissemination of unverified information as security agencies continue their investigation.
