Three staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), in Ibadan, Oyo State, were abducted on Thursday by armed men while inspecting crops on a farm within the institute’s premises.

The abducted staff were identified as Mrs Eunice Babalola, Mr Kehinde Gbalajobi and Mr Nelson.

The incident was said to have occurred at about 1p.m.

After the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly demanded N40 million from each of the victims as ransom.

The abduction was confirmed by the state police command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, in a statement on Friday.

The PPRO said that the Command’s operatives “immediately commenced intensive efforts to secure the safe rescue of the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.”

He added: “A manhunt has been launched, and operational efforts are ongoing to ensure the victims’ safe return and bring those responsible to justice.”

He urged members of the public with credible information that could assist the ongoing operation to promptly report to the nearest police station or contact the Command through Its established emergency channels.

A credible source told Tribune Online that the kidnappers commenced an onslaught on victims on Monday when they kidnapped four young staff of a poultry farm, Globus Resources Limited, at Farm 8 as they had finished for the day and were about to leave at about 4:30p.m.

The remaining staff were said to have managed to scamper into safety as heavy gunshots rent the air.

After the report of the incident at the Idi Ayunre police station, it was further gathered that the police and vigilantes working on the farm immediately went in search of the victims in the state forest part which the company was operating on, but returned at about 11:30pm, unsuccessful.

On Tuesday, the security operatives, along with the DPO, embarked on another search, but in the federal forest where the kidnappers and the victims were sighted.

Unfortunately, one of the staff, a 22-year-old man, was reportedly shot dead by the kidnappers when he stood up to indicate where they were.

An intense exchange of firepower between the kidnappers and the security forces was said to have occurred, and the criminals escaped with bullet wounds. Three other staff were rescued without payment of ransom.

The kidnappers were suspected to have been the ones who unleashed anger on the three occupants of a Ford pick-up van in the evening of the same Tuesday, at about 4:30p.m.

One of the three, identified as Sikiru, who was the driver of the van with registration number AGL 129 JB, however sustained gunshot injuries in both legs.

He Is currently at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, awaiting surgery to be carried out.

Nigerian Tribune correspondent, who spoke with one of the three people who escaped from being abducted, Alhaji Omotayo, a petrol station owner, said that he, his younger brother who was driving, and another man were ambushed on Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road on Tuesday at about 4:30p.m. as they approached Alaho Community.

According to Alhaji Omotayo, “the kidnappers emerged from the bush and started firing shots sporadically.

They shot the back tyre, then went for the front tyre on the driver’s side, hitting both legs of my brother. They also shot at the windscreen. Their bullet grazed my ear.

“Blood quickly filled the carpet where my brother’s legs were. So frightened, I encouraged him to keep going, helping him to steer the wheel. We didn’t stop until he could no longer press the throttle and brakes, so we swerved to hit some woods at the roadside in order to stop the vehicle.”

The petrol dealer said he was picked by a motorcyclist and rushed to a checkpoint where he met Operation Burst operatives and narrated what just happened.

He commended the operatives for their prompt response, disclosing that his brother was evacuated and quickly rushed to UCH’s Emergency Ward for medical attention.

The burial of the deceased victim earlier shot by the kidnappers during police rescue operations, which was slated for Friday, was reportedly delayed because the police couldn’t give the report to retrieve the body from the mortuary, as they had gone into the bush to rescue the CRIN staff.

It would be noted that the attack on the poultry farm would be the third one this year. In January, the kidnappers abducted an Indian man and they killed a mobile police officer. The second one occurred in April when four of the farm staff – three men and one lady – were abducted. (Nigerian Tribune)