Bandits Attack Old Oyo National Park, Kill Five

By Ayodele Oni

Bandits have reportedly launched an attack on Oloka Village near Ikoyi Ile in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo state, killing five personnel attached to the Old Oyo National Park and injuring several villagers.

The attack, which occurred late Tuesday night, is the latest in a series of violent incidents linked to armed groups operating around communities bordering the National Park.

Sources added that the attackers arrived the village around 11:00 p.m. on motorcycles, firing sporadically.

Reports added that the incident comes less than a month after three people and a pregnant woman were shot in the area, while others were abducted with a ransom demand of ₦20 million.

A local source told a medium on Wednesday that the assailants specifically targeted the forest guards’ office, killing three National Park Service (NPS) officers and two casual staff during the assault.

Confirming the incident, a villager, Mr. Kehinde Salau, who narrowly escaped the attack, said the victims were forest guards deployed to secure the Old Oyo National Park.

He added that some officers and villagers narrowly escaped abduction when the attackers stormed the facility.

According to him, the bandits vandalised properties and abducted some residents. He recalled that the same armed group had invaded another community in Oriire Local Government Area in December, during which they demanded ₦20 million ransom and two motorcycles.

The police authorities in Oriire Local Government Area has not reacted to the incident, but it was gathered that the bodies of the slain National Park Service officials have been evacuated to the Police Area Command in Ogbomoso.

Residents of the affected communities have continued to call on the Oyo State Government to urgently strengthen security across Oriire Local Government Area, describing the attack as terrifying and sudden.

A resident, said  banditry had been ongoing since November last year.

“The attacks started in November at Oko Ile, where a man narrowly escaped abduction after gunshots.

“In December, at Ahorodada, a pregnant woman and her child were shot during a kidnapping attempt,” the resident said.