The police command in Oyo State has said that two employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Idi-Ayunre area of Ibadan were abducted on Tuesday.

A statement on Wednesday by the command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, said CRIN’s chief security officer reported the invasion and abduction at the Idi-Ayunre Divisional Police Headquarters at about 6 p.m on the day of the incident.

The police spokesman said preliminary findings showed that about six armed men invaded the facility and whisked the victims away to an unknown location.

“The Oyo State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that on 19th May, 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 (CRIN), 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 said.

Mr Olayinka said the state’s Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, directed the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence assets, including operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and apprehension of the perpetrators.

The spokesman said police operatives, during a bush combing operation on Wednesday, May 20 at about 8:10am, encountered and accosted two suspects, identified as Shehu and Abubakar, who subsequently volunteered to lead the operatives to the hideout of the remaining suspects.

Mr Olayinka stated that the police squad came under gunfire attack, while approaching the suspects’ hideout.

“The operatives responded professionally, repelled the attack and successfully extracted the two suspects, who are currently in custody of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation and intelligence exploitation,” he stated.

The spokesman noted that rescue operations were ongoing and yielding actionable leads.

The command, however, expressed concern over the circulation of false and misleading reports by certain media outlets and social media platforms alleging that a mass abduction occurred in Abanla community and other parts of Ibadan. 

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Oyo State Police Command categorically states that no such incident has been reported anywhere within Ibadan metropolis or its environs apart from the already reported CRIN incident presently receiving robust operational attention,” the statement said.

“The spread of false information has the tendency to undermine public confidence in ongoing security efforts while equally diverting limited operational and emergency response resources away from genuine security concerns requiring immediate attention,” it stated.

The command urged members of the public to remain calm, vigilant, law-abiding and helpful with timely and credible information that could assist ongoing operations.

Recall that on Wednesday, March 18, suspected gunmen numbering six, kidnapped four cocoa farmers on a familiarisation visit to CRIN.

One of the visitors who escaped from the gunmen said they suddenly appeared from a bush and intercepted their vehicle on the way to the institute’s nursing section.

The police later said they rescued two male victims and apprehended three suspects.