Gunmen have abducted three staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan, Oyo State.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the workers were attacked while they were inspecting crops on a farm within the premises of the institute.
The incident was confirmed by the Oyo State Police Command, which said the victims were kidnapped while carrying out their duties on the farm.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Olayinka Ayanlade, said the police had commenced investigations and were making efforts to rescue the abducted workers safely and arrest those responsible.
In a statement confirming the incident, Ayanlade said, “The Oyo State Police Command confirms a kidnapping incident involving three staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), who were abducted while inspecting crops on a farm within the institute’s premises.
“Upon receiving the report, the command immediately commenced intensive efforts to secure the safe rescue of the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.”
The police spokesperson urged members of the public with useful information about the incident to assist the command in its efforts to rescue the victims.
Earlier, a serving councillor representing Ogugu Ward III in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Rosemary Aduku, was reported dead after spending days in the hands of her abductors.
Aduku was reportedly kidnapped on October 1, 2026.
Her death was announced on Friday by the Chairman of Olamaboro Local Government Area, Dr Ameh Williams, in a statement issued on behalf of the local government executive council.
Williams expressed sadness over the councillor’s death, describing her as a humble, dependable and caring person who was committed to the happiness of those around her.
The chairman said her death was a painful loss to the Olamaboro Legislative Council, the local government executive, her family and the entire Ogugu community.
He also offered prayers for her family, colleagues and constituents as they mourned her death.
The local government announced that her burial was scheduled for 1pm on Friday at her family compound in Ogugu Centre.
In another incident, about 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to Bende in Abia State and Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.
The victims were travelling in two buses when gunmen reportedly intercepted them at Ogbaku in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on October 1.
The Nigeria Police Force later confirmed that the 20 prospective corps members were rescued on October 7 at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State following search-and-rescue operations involving other security agencies.
However, some relatives of the rescued victims disclosed that they had paid millions of naira in ransom to secure their loved ones’ freedom. One mother said she paid N3 million, while the father of another victim said his family raised N6 million for his son’s release.
The police said the rescued victims were taken for medical assessment and necessary care, adding that efforts were continuing to apprehend those responsible for the abduction.