The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers in connection with the abduction of two staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria in the Idi-Ayunre area of Oluyole Local Government Area.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped on Tuesday evening when armed men stormed the institute and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday.
According to him, the incident was reported at about 6pm by the Chief Security Officer of CRIN to the Idi-Ayunre Divisional Police Headquarters.
Ayanlade explained that operatives immediately moved to the scene after receiving the distress call and discovered during preliminary investigations that about six armed men carried out the operation.
He stated that the command had since launched coordinated search and bush-combing operations across nearby forest areas in a bid to rescue the victims and apprehend the abductors.
The police spokesperson added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Olugbemiga Abimbola, ordered the deployment of tactical teams and intelligence operatives, including members of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, to intensify rescue efforts.
Ayanlade revealed that during one of the operations conducted on Wednesday morning, security operatives intercepted two suspicious persons identified simply as Shehu and Abubakar.
He said the suspects allegedly volunteered to lead the police to the hideout of the gang after preliminary interrogation.
“However, while approaching the suspected hideout, the team came under heavy gunfire from armed men believed to be members of the kidnapping syndicate,” he said.
The police spokesman noted that the operatives repelled the attack and safely extracted the suspects, who are currently being held by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation.
The command also dismissed reports circulating on some social media platforms alleging fresh cases of mass abduction in Abanla community and other parts of Ibadan.
Ayanlade described the reports as false, misleading and capable of causing unnecessary panic among residents.
He warned media organisations, bloggers and social media users against publishing unverified security reports, stressing that inaccurate information could undermine ongoing operations and divert security resources from genuine emergencies.
The command reassured residents that security had been strengthened around the affected area and other strategic locations across the state to prevent criminal activities.
