You can’t compare, presidency  reacts to furore over rescue of Adelabu sister 

Ebun Emmanuel — June 07,2026

The Presidency has faulted the online comparisons between the abduction and rescue of the sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and that of the yet-to-be freed pupils and teachers kidnapped in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

It explained that the two incidents involve different categories of criminals and require different security responses.

The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, stated this in a post on X on Sunday.

Ajayi’s comments came amid public debate over the speed with which security agencies secured the release of the Adelabu family compared to the efforts to rescue schoolchildren and teachers abducted in the Oriire area of Oyo State.

According to him, it is inaccurate to place both incidents in the same category because the perpetrators, their motives and operational methods differ significantly.

He said, “Those who are comparing the Adelabu’s sister and her twins situation to the Ogbomoso kids and their teachers are totally wrong.

“The kidnappers who abducted Mrs. Adelabu-John Paul and her children are part of an urban criminal gang driven primarily by financial motives, unlike armed groups operating from remote forest location.

“It is wrong to compare the urban gang of kidnappers who engage in copycat crime to make money and hide victims inside a flat within the community to a band of terrorists operating deep inside the bush. The two set of criminals have different motivations and agenda”.

Ajayi also reacted to allegations that security agencies gave preferential treatment to the Adelabu family because of their political connections, maintaining that government efforts to rescue victims of abduction are not selective.

“The Ogbomoso children and their teachers will be rescued, and government/security agencies are not selective as falsely claimed. The approach to the two incidents can’t be the same,” he added.

Ajayi urged Nigerians to celebrate the successful rescue of Mrs. Adelabu-John Paul and her children, while continuing to support ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of other victims still in captivity.