Gunmen Kill 5 National Park Personnel In Oyo

Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the killing of five personnel of the National Park by suspected bandits in a late-night attack on their office in Oloka, Ikoyi-ile in Orire local government area.

The incident, which occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday was first reported on social media, with a post on X formerly known as Twitter, stating that armed men had stormed the National Park Service facility and killed five officers on duty.

Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Ayanlade Olayinka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the attack, describing it as a coordinated assault by yet to be identified assailants.

“Yes, there was an attack by yet to be identified men against the personnel of the National Park Service,” the police spokesperson said.

Ayanlade disclosed that preliminary information available to the command indicates that at least five National Park Service personnel lost their lives during the attack.

According to him, as of the time of filing the report, bodies of the victims had not been recovered, as they were believed to be within the surrounding forest area.

Olayinka added that the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Femi Haruna, alongside other security chiefs, was already en route to the affected area to assess the situation and coordinate further response.

“In the meantime, the Commissioner of Police has deployed tactical teams, Mobile Police Force operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit to the area to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” he said.

Security presence has since been heightened around Orire Local Government Area and its environs, as residents remain anxious over the development.

The police assured members of the public that efforts were ongoing to stabilise the area, recover the bodies of the slain personnel and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The National Park Service office in Oloka is situated near a vast forest corridor that has, in the past, raised security concerns among local communities and security agencies.