Panic erupted on Wednesday after gunmen abducted four cocoa farmers within the premises of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, located in the Idi-Ayunre area of Ibadan.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the attackers, numbering about six, stormed the area from a nearby bush and intercepted the victims as they moved within the facility. Some of the farmers were reportedly on a familiarisation visit at the institute when the incident occurred.
A member of the group who escaped said the gunmen struck suddenly, forcing the victims into captivity.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed the attack, revealing that one of the abducted farmers has since been rescued and the group’s vehicle recovered.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, has ordered an intensified security response, deploying the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and other tactical teams to the area.
According to the police, operatives are currently conducting extensive bush-combing operations to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the remaining victims. The rescued individual is said to be in safe custody and assisting investigators.
Authorities have assured that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators, as concerns mount over the rising wave of abductions targeting farmers and rural communities.
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