The Nigeria Police Force in Oyo State said it has arrested two suspects in connection with the abduction of two staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria at Idi-Ayunre in Oluyole Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, stating that the incident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
According to him, a distress report was received at the Idi-Ayunre Divisional Police Headquarters from the Chief Security Officer of CRIN, informing the police that unidentified armed men had invaded the institute and abducted two members of staff to an unknown destination.
Ayanlade said police operatives immediately responded to the report and carried out an on-the-spot assessment at the scene of the incident.
Preliminary investigations, he said, revealed that about six armed men stormed the area before whisking the victims away.
“The State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that on May 19, 2026, at about 1800hrs, a distress report was received at Idi-Ayunre Divisional Police Headquarters from the Chief Security Officer of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, reporting the abduction of two staff members of the institution by unidentified armed men who reportedly invaded the premises of the institute and whisked the victims away to an unknown destination,” the statement read.
The police spokesperson added that tactical operations, including intensive bush combing and coordinated searches across surrounding forests, were immediately launched to rescue the victims and track down the kidnappers.
He noted that the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Olugbemiga Abimbola, ordered the deployment of tactical and intelligence assets, including operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, to strengthen rescue efforts and ensure the arrest of all those involved.
Ayanlade said the breakthrough came during one of the ongoing operations on Wednesday morning when security operatives intercepted two suspicious individuals identified simply as Shehu and Abubakar.
“Upon preliminary interrogation, the duo volunteered to lead the operatives to the hideout of their accomplices,” he said.
He, however, explained that while approaching the suspected hideout, the police team came under gunfire attack from armed men believed to be members of the kidnapping syndicate.
According to him, the operatives responded professionally, repelled the attack and safely extracted the two suspects, who are currently being held by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation.
The command also raised concerns over what it described as false and misleading reports circulating on some social media platforms and media outlets alleging another mass abduction in Abanla community and other parts of Ibadan.
The police clarified that no such incident had been reported anywhere within Ibadan metropolis apart from the CRIN kidnapping case already under investigation.
The statement warned that spreading unverified security reports could create unnecessary panic among residents and undermine ongoing security operations.
“It is against this backdrop that the command strongly advises media organisations, bloggers, and social media influencers to uphold the principles of responsible reportage by verifying security-related information through appropriate channels before publication,” Ayanlade added.
The command reassured residents that adequate security measures had been put in place across the affected areas and other strategic locations in the state to prevent criminal activities.
Residents were also urged to remain calm, vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that could assist ongoing operations.
