The Landlord Association of Lakoun Community, along the Aiyegun-Anaye Road, Elewura, Challenge area of Ibadan, Oyo State, where the demolished three-bedroom bungalow used by abductors of a former power minister Adebayo Adelabu’s sister Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her twin sons, was situated, has said it was unaware of the criminals’ activities in the residence.

The association’s vice chairman, Matthew Olaiya, in an interview with journalists on Monday, said the kidnappers often stayed out late and did not always sleep in the building.

“We didn’t notice anything because they usually came home in the night. We didn’t even know the time when they kidnapped the victims,” Mr Matthew stated.

He explained that the community observed the building was always empty with electronic bulbs switched off most times.

“The only suspicion we had was they didn’t come to the house regularly, because we have people employed to secure the neighbourhood. They (the kidnappers) did not switch their light on always. We also observed that the house was always empty,” the vice chairman added.

Mr Mathew, who expressed concern over the abduction, said the demolished building previously belonged to a woman who later sold it to the person that leased it to the criminals occupants.

“It’s not up to six months that they (kidnappers) came to rent house. We did house document and had given it to the police. The owner of the house is a female and has sold it. The person who bought the house and rented it out had agreement with them. The person had been arrested and taken to Abuja,” he said.

The development trailed the demolition of the building by the state government after police operatives stormed the hideout, rescued the hostages and arrested the abductors on Saturday.

The government said the demolition foregrounded its resolve to tackling insecurity and frustrate criminal gangs operating in the state. 

The kidnappers’ arrest and the subsequent demolition of their hideout came as the over 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted on May 15 by bandits in three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state still languish in captivity.

Civil rights groups, human rights activists and associations, including the Nigerian Union of Teachers, protested to demand timely rescue of the hostages.