Several members of 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 an operation in the Old Oyo National Park, Oyo State.
The incident reportedly occurred while operatives of Iru Ekun, a security outfit associated with Igboho, were carrying out a mission to track and dislodge suspected kidnappers and other armed criminals believed to be operating within the expansive forest reserve.
Sources familiar with the operation disclosed that the team deployed surveillance drones to identify suspected criminal hideouts and monitor the movement of armed groups before advancing into the area.
According to the sources, the operation turned violent when the security operatives allegedly came under attack from heavily armed men believed to be members of cross-border criminal networks.
The suspected bandits reportedly opened fire on the advancing team, triggering a fierce gun battle deep inside the forest.
Several members of the Iru Ekun outfit were said to have sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange. However, the exact number of those wounded had not been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
The incident has renewed concerns over the activities of suspected kidnappers, bandits and other armed groups operating within forests and remote communities across parts of the South-West.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls placed to the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, were not answered as of the time this report was filed.
