Several operatives of 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 allegedly ambushed them during a security operation inside the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State.
The incident occurred while the security team was carrying out an operation aimed at locating and dislodging suspected kidnappers and other armed criminal groups believed to have established hideouts within the expansive forest reserve.
According to sources familiar with the operation, the operatives deployed surveillance drones to identify suspected criminal camps and monitor the movements of armed groups before advancing into the targeted locations.
However, the mission reportedly took a violent turn when the team came under heavy gunfire from suspected bandits believed to be members of cross-border criminal networks operating within the forest.
The unexpected attack triggered an intense exchange of gunfire between both sides, leaving several members of the Iru Ekun security outfit wounded. As of the time of filing this report, the exact number of injured operatives had not been officially confirmed.
The incident has renewed concerns over the growing activities of kidnappers, bandits and other armed groups operating from forests and remote communities across the South-West, despite ongoing efforts by security agencies and local security outfits to combat criminal activities in the region.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls placed to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, were not answered as of the time this report was filed.
Several Sunday Igboho-Linked Security Operatives Injured in Gun Battle with Suspected Bandits in Oyo Forest
