Kidnappers Target Poultry Farm Workers in Oyo, One Dead, Several Rescued

Armed men have kidnapped seven workers from poultry farms in Oyo State over four days, leading to one death and several injuries. The incidents began on Monday when four employees of Globus Resources Limited were taken while leaving work.

On Thursday, three staff members from the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) were abducted while inspecting crops. The police confirmed that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N40 million from each victim.

According to the police, they launched a manhunt to rescue the victims and capture the kidnappers. The Public Relations Officer for the police, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, urged the public to provide any information that could help in the investigation.

On Tuesday, during a rescue attempt, one young worker was shot dead by the kidnappers when he tried to reveal their location. Fortunately, three other staff members were rescued without any ransom being paid.

In a related incident, a petrol station owner and his brother were ambushed on the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road. The brother was shot in both legs, and they managed to escape by driving to safety despite the injuries.

This series of attacks marks the third time this year that kidnappers have targeted the poultry farms in the area. Previous incidents included the abduction of an Indian man and the killing of a police officer in January, and another kidnapping in April.