Several Injured as Gunmen Ambush Sunday Igboho-Linked Security Operatives in Oyo Forest

Several operatives of Iru Ekun, a private security outfit linked to Yoruba Nation campaigner , were reportedly injured after suspected armed bandits ambushed them during a security operation in the Old Oyo National Park.

The incident occurred while the operatives were carrying out a clearance mission aimed at flushing out suspected kidnappers and other armed criminal groups believed to be operating within the expansive forest reserve.

Sources familiar with the operation said the security team had deployed surveillance drones to identify suspected criminal hideouts and monitor the movement of armed groups before advancing into the area.

However, the operation reportedly turned violent when heavily armed men, believed to be members of cross-border criminal gangs, opened fire on the operatives, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire.

Several members of the Iru Ekun security outfit sustained gunshot injuries during the confrontation, although the exact number of casualties had not been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

The attack has heightened concerns over the growing activities of kidnappers, bandits and other armed criminal groups operating from forests and remote communities across parts of Nigeria’s South-West.

Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The development comes amid renewed calls for stronger security measures to combat the increasing wave of violent crimes in forested areas, where criminal gangs have established hideouts and launched attacks on travellers and residents.