Several operatives of a private security outfit associated with Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, were injured after suspected bandits reportedly ambushed them during an operation inside the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State.
The incident occurred while members of Iru Ekun, a security group linked to Igboho, were said to be conducting a mission aimed at tracking down and flushing out suspected kidnappers and other armed criminals believed to be operating within the forest reserve.
Sources familiar with the operation said the team had deployed surveillance drones to locate suspected hideouts and monitor the movement of armed groups before moving into the area.
However, the operation reportedly turned deadly when the security personnel came under attack from heavily armed men suspected to be part of cross-border criminal gangs operating in the region.
According to the sources, the assailants opened fire on the advancing operatives, sparking a fierce gun battle deep inside the forest.
Several members of the Iru Ekun team sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange, although the exact number of casualties could not be independently confirmed at the time of filing this report.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the growing activities of kidnappers, bandits and other armed groups operating in forests and remote communities across parts of the South-West.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls placed to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, were not answered as of press time.
