Three employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan, Oyo State, have regained their freedom six days after they were abducted by gunmen while working on a farm within the institute’s premises.

The victims were identified as Eunice Babalola, Kehinde Gbalajobi and another employee known as Nelson.

They were kidnapped last Thursday when armed men stormed the farm at about 1pm and whisked them away to an undisclosed location.

Sources familiar with the incident said the abductors initially demanded N40 million for each of the victims before the ransom demand was allegedly reduced to N50 million for all three workers following negotiations.

The workers regained their freedom in the early hours of Wednesday after security operatives traced them to a bush near Globus Farm, also known as Triton.

The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the rescue but did not disclose whether any ransom was paid to secure their release.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said security agencies were continuing efforts to identify and arrest those responsible for the abduction.

The rescue came amid ongoing efforts by security operatives to track down the suspected kidnappers and bring them to justice.