JUST IN: Three CRIN Employees Freed Days After Kidnap In Ibadan

Three employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, have been released by their abductors, six days after they were kidnapped while working on a farm within the institute’s premises.

The workers, identified as Eunice Babalola, Kehinde Gbalajobi and another employee known as Nelson, were reportedly seized last Thursday when armed men stormed the farm at about 1pm.

The kidnappers were said to have taken the victims to an undisclosed location after the attack.

Sources familiar with the incident said the abductors initially demanded N40 million for each worker before the amount was allegedly reduced to N50 million for all three victims following negotiations.

The employees reportedly regained their freedom in the early hours of Wednesday after security operatives located them in a bush near Globus Farm, also known as Triton.

The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the rescue but did not disclose whether a ransom was paid to secure the workers’ release.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said security agencies were still working to identify and arrest those responsible for the abduction.

The release of the three workers comes six days after the incident, as efforts continue to bring the suspected kidnappers to justice.