Three employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, who were abducted in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State, have regained their freedom after six days in captivity.
According to The Punch, the victims, identified as Eunice Babalola, Kehinde Gbalajobi and Nelson, were kidnapped last Thursday while inspecting crops on a farm within the institute’s premises.
Sources familiar with the incident said the abductors initially demanded a ransom of N40m for each victim before negotiations reportedly led to a change in the demand.
“The abductors had earlier demanded N40 million for each worker before the amount was allegedly reduced to N50 million for all three victims after negotiations.
“They regained their freedom in the early hours of today (Wednesday) after security operatives located them in a bush near Globus Farm, also known as Triton,” sources stressed.
The Oyo State Police Command had earlier confirmed the abduction of the three CRIN employees on Thursday, October 8, 2026, assuring that efforts were being made to secure their release and arrest those responsible.
Confirming their rescue on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, said security agencies were continuing efforts to track down the perpetrators.
“Security agencies are still working to identify and arrest those responsible for the abduction.”
The police did not disclose whether any ransom was paid to secure the victims’ release.
The rescue comes amid continuing concerns over kidnapping incidents in the country.
In a separate incident, 20 of the 30 prospective corps members abducted while travelling from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia State reportedly regained their freedom on Friday, while the remaining 10 escaped through the bush.
