After 3 kidnappings in 7 months, a fresh ₦120m ransom demand sparks protest at Oyo research institute

Workers protested after the latest incident, which follows two earlier kidnapping incidents linked to the facility since March.

In March, the institute’s newsletter said three visiting cocoa farmers were released after a ransom was reportedly paid.

For the third time in 2026, Gunmen have abducted three people, including two employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), in Idi-Ayunre, Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State, prompting a police manhunt and a protest by institute workers.

The victims are Mrs Eunice Babalola, head of CRIN’s Central Nursery; Kehinde Gbalajobi, an agricultural superintendent; and another man who lives in the institute’s Senior Staff (SS) Quarters but is not an employee.

The abduction occurred during working hours on Thursday, October 8, 2026, according to reports by Tribune.

According to a source familiar with the incident, Babalola and Gbalajobi were abducted while walking from the institute’s Central Nursery to the SS Quarters, where Babalola intended to collect some items from her residence.

Their driver was expected to pick them up at the quarters while returning from the nursery to the institute’s main office with other nursery workers. However, the two employees were intercepted before they reached their destination.

The third victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, was also taken by the gunmen. His precise circumstances of abduction have not been independently established.

The kidnappers reportedly attempted to seize more people at the Central Nursery but were repelled after an exchange of gunfire with security personnel stationed there, according to sources cited by the Tribune.

The gunmen have reportedly contacted the victims’ relatives and demanded a total ransom of ₦120 million for their release. The ransom demand has been reported by the two newspapers but was not included in the police confirmation of the incident. 

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The latest incident follows at least two earlier kidnapping incidents reported at CRIN in 2026.

On March 18, armed men abducted three representatives of the Ogun State chapter of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria at the institute’s nursery site. The victims had reportedly visited the facility to submit their annual collection of cocoa seedlings for the 2026 planting season.

The Oyo State Police Command subsequently announced that two victims had been rescued and three suspects arrested. CRIN later reported that the three people abducted in the March incident were released on March 21 after a ransom was paid.

On May 19, another incident was reported after armed men allegedly invaded the institute’s premises and abducted two staff members. Police said the attack involved about six gunmen and that tactical and intelligence teams had been deployed to rescue the victims.

The command also announced the arrest of two suspects linked to that incident during a search operation on May 20. The police did not establish in the reports reviewed whether the two victims had been rescued. 

The October 8 abduction is therefore another reported kidnapping incident connected to the institute in less than seven months.

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The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the recent abduction on Friday, October 9, through its spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade.

Oyo State Police Command Spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed that tactical teams have swung into action to rescue the victim unhurt According to the police, the victims were abducted while inspecting crops on a farm within the institute’s premises.

The command said it had commenced efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible for the attack.

“A manhunt has been launched, and operational efforts are ongoing to ensure the victims’ safe return and bring those responsible to justice,” Ayanlade said in a statement.

The police urged anyone with credible information that could assist the operation to report to the nearest police station or contact the command through its established emergency channels.

The immediate priority remains the safe return of Babalola, Gbalajobi and the third victim, while police continue efforts to track down the abductors.

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According to PM News, Dr Kayode Ayegboyin, chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), CRIN branch, described the incident as disheartening in an internal statement.

The protest follows earlier kidnappings involving people at the institute, raising renewed concerns about the safety of staff, visitors and other people within its premises.