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The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) has revealed that an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom to secure the release of their colleagues who were abducted by gunmen on Wednesday.
Four cocoa farmers were abducted at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in the Idi-Ayunre area of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses disclosed that the cocoa farmers were abducted by gunmen who were about six in number.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the National Secretary of CFAN, Adeola Adegoke, said that all the abducted victims have been released.
Adegoke revealed that two out of the four abducted farmers, Apostle William Solomon and Rufus Megbowon, were released on health grounds, an occurrence he described as a “divine arrangement”.
He further noted that following the release of the duo, the remaining victims who were held in captivity were released on Saturday after their relatives paid ransom to the kidnappers for their release.
“Between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., the remaining victims, Ayebusiwa Toyin, Ayebusiwa Tayo and Omosoluyi Omoseyimi, were released following ransom payment by their family members at an undisclosed location in Ogun State,” said Adegoke.
He added that during the process of their release by the kidnappers in another location in Ibadan, there was a sudden gunshot from an unidentified person that led the kidnapped victims to lose coordination and awareness of their immediate environment.
Toyin and Tayo were thereafter assisted by the Amotekun Corps guarding a quarry site located in their vicinity, while Omoseyimi contacted the association at about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
“Therefore, we are delighted to inform the general public, particularly cocoa stakeholders, that all three remaining victims, Ayebusiwa Toyin, Ayebusiwa Tayo, and Omosoluyi Omoseyimi, have now been safely released as of today, 21st March, 2026,” Adegoke added.
The CFAN further appealed to the government at all levels to strengthen and reinforce security measures to curb illicit activities occurring within and around CRIN’s premises.
Ransom payments are criminalised in Nigeria under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, yet relatives of abducted victims still pay to secure their loved ones’ release, especially when security agencies respond slowly.
