Several members of the Iru Ekun security outfit linked to Yoruba Nation campaigner Sunday Igboho were reportedly injured after suspected cross-border bandits ambushed them during an operation inside the Old Oyo National Park.
Several operatives attached to Iru Ekun, a private security outfit linked to Yoruba Nation campaigner Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, were reportedly injured after suspected cross-border bandits ambushed them during a security operation in the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State.
According to reports, the operatives were carrying out a mission to track and dislodge suspected kidnappers and other armed criminal groups believed to be operating within the expansive forest reserve.
Before advancing into the area, the security team reportedly deployed surveillance drones to identify suspected criminal hideouts and monitor the movement of armed groups. However, the operation turned violent when heavily armed men, believed to be members of cross-border criminal networks, allegedly opened fire on the advancing operatives, triggering a fierce gun battle inside the forest.
Several members of the Iru Ekun team sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange. As of the time of reporting, the exact number of those injured had not been officially confirmed, while the extent of casualties on the side of the suspected attackers could not be independently verified.
The incident adds another layer to ongoing security concerns surrounding the Old Oyo National Park and adjoining forest corridors, areas that have repeatedly featured in reports of kidnapping and other criminal activities. The latest confrontation underscores the continued security challenges within remote forest communities in the South-West.
No official casualty figure had been released at the time of filing the reports. Investigations into the incident were still ongoing, while the identities of the attackers had yet to be officially confirmed by security authorities.
The operation ended with several members of the Iru Ekun security outfit injured, while efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the ambush and confirm the number of casualties remained ongoing.