Two employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) have been abducted by unidentified gunmen in Oyo State, sparking an immediate security crackdown that has led to the arrest of two suspected kidnappers.

The tactical breakthrough was confirmed by the Oyo State Police Command, following a swift emergency mobilization in the area.

The victims were actively working on the institute’s fields when the armed gang breached the facility, took them hostage, and fled into the surrounding forest. Upon receiving the distress call, a combined operational team comprising police tactical units, anti-kidnapping squads, and local security partners was deployed to launch immediate search-and-rescue maneuvers.

During the initial phase of the tracking operation, security forces successfully intercepted and arrested two individuals heavily suspected to be linked to the kidnapping syndicate. The arrested suspects are currently in police custody, where they are undergoing intense interrogation to extract vital intelligence regarding the gang’s operational base.

The incident adds to mounting regional anxieties, coming on the heels of the recent high-profile school abductions in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olayinka Ayanlade, stated that aggressive bush-combing operations are being sustained in the area. She assured the public that the security agencies are utilizing both ground personnel and technology-driven tracking assets to guarantee the safe rescue of the workers and the complete neutrality of the remaining fleeing culprits.