The camp of former Minister of Power and 2027 governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Bayo Adelabu, has dismissed allegations linking his personal assistant, Ajiboye Sangogade, to the kidnapping of his younger sister and her twin sons, warning that those spreading the claims risk legal action.

The warning was issued on Wednesday in Ibadan by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, who described the allegations as false, malicious and an attempt to damage Sangogade’s reputation.

Awogboro said Sangogade had no involvement in the abduction of Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, urging those circulating the claims to desist immediately.

According to him, the recent briefing by Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, did not mention Sangogade as a suspect or member of the kidnapping syndicate.

He noted that the police only identified an individual named Segun in connection with the case and argued that attempts to implicate Sangogade were politically motivated.

Awogboro further stated that the allegations were part of a pattern of misinformation targeted at Adelabu and his associates, recalling previous claims that Sangogade had been positioned to secure the APC ticket for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency bye-election, a contest eventually won by Wale Olatunji.

He urged members of the public and party supporters not to be misled by what he described as fabricated stories designed to score political points.

The media aide described Sangogade as a man of good character and impeccable reputation, insisting that he neither knew about nor participated in the crime.

He warned that any further attempts to tarnish Sangogade’s image would be resisted and that those responsible would be pursued through legal means.

The controversy follows the abduction of John-Paul and her twin sons by gunmen on June 3 at Elewura-Challenge in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The victims were reportedly intercepted by armed men who trailed their vehicle from their residence before stopping them around 7:30 a.m. and taking them away.

On June 7, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Oluwagbemiga Abimbola, paraded four suspects arrested in connection with the kidnapping at the state police headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.

Items recovered from the suspects included three pump-action rifles, 14 live cartridges, an 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.

In a related development, the Oyo State Government demolished a building allegedly linked to the kidnapping syndicate and revoked the property’s land title on June 8 as part of measures to combat criminal activities in the state.