The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of two staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) Idi-Ayunre, while also debunking false reports circulating on social media alleging a mass abduction within Ibadan and surrounding communities.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, the incident occurred on Monday, 19th May, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m., when armed men reportedly invaded the premises of CRIN at Idi-Ayunre and abducted two staff members to an unknown destination.
The statement disclosed that the distress report was lodged at the Idi-Ayunre Divisional Police Headquarters by the institution’s Chief Security Officer, prompting an immediate response from Police operatives who visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
Preliminary investigations revealed that approximately six armed men carried out the operation before fleeing into nearby forested areas with the victims.
Following the development, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbemiga, ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence teams, including operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest of those responsible.
The Command stated that intensive bush-combing and coordinated search operations were subsequently launched across surrounding locations linked to the incident.
“During one of the operations on Tuesday, 20th May, 2026, at about 8:10 a.m., Police operatives intercepted two suspicious persons identified as Shehu and Abubakar. Preliminary interrogation reportedly led the suspects to volunteer information about the hideout of other members of the kidnapping syndicate.
“However, while approaching the suspected hideout, the Police team came under heavy gunfire attack from armed men believed to be members of the kidnapping gang.
“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, who stated that rescue operations were ongoing and yielding actionable leads, 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.
