The Oyo State Police Command says it has arrested two suspects in connection with the abduction of two staff of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Oluyole Local Government Area, while operations continue to rescue the victims.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening when about six armed men reportedly stormed the institute premises at Idi-Ayunre and whisked away the workers to an unknown location.
According to police spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, officers received a distress call from the institute’s chief security officer and immediately deployed officers to the scene for preliminary investigation.
Security operatives later launched bush-combing operations across surrounding forest routes linked to the attack.
During one of the coordinated searches on Wednesday morning, police intercepted two suspects identified as Shehu and Abubakar.
The command said the men allegedly agreed to lead officers to the hideout of their gang members.
However, the operation turned violent when the team reportedly came under fire from armed members of the kidnapping network, triggering a gun duel in the bush.
Police say their officers repelled the attack and successfully extracted the two suspects, who are now in custody for interrogation and intelligence gathering.
Read also:
- Oyo Police arrest 49-year-old man over alleged defilement of 13-year-old
- Notorious robbers: Oyo police nabs 3, recovers 6 vehicles,
- Oyo police declare man wanted for assaulting pregnant wife
The command added that tactical units, including intelligence and anti-kidnapping operatives, have been deployed across suspected escape routes to track down the remaining gang members and secure the release of the abducted workers.
The police also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming fresh mass abductions in parts of Ibadan, describing them as false and capable of triggering panic.
The police insisted no additional kidnapping incident has been recorded beyond the CRIN attack, warning against the spread of unverified security information.
The command said ongoing operations remain active across the affected areas, with security deployments strengthened to prevent further attacks.
