Several Members of Sunday Igboho-Linked Security Outfit Injured in Ambush at Old Oyo National Park

Several members 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 an operation inside the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State.

The incident was said to have occurred while the operatives were conducting a mission aimed at tracking and flushing out suspected kidnappers and other armed criminal groups believed to be operating within the vast forest reserve.

Sources familiar with the operation disclosed that the security team deployed surveillance drones to identify suspected criminal hideouts and monitor the movement of armed groups before advancing into the targeted locations.

According to the sources, the operation took a violent turn when the operatives reportedly came under heavy gunfire from suspected members of cross-border criminal networks, who allegedly launched a surprise attack on the team.

Several members of the security outfit were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries during the exchange of gunfire, although the exact number of casualties could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

The Old Oyo National Park has in recent years been identified by security agencies and local communities as one of the areas where suspected kidnappers and other armed groups are believed to operate, posing security challenges to residents and travellers in parts of Oyo and neighbouring states.

As of the time of this report, neither Sunday Igboho nor officials of Iru Ekun had issued an official statement on the incident. Similarly, the Oyo State Police Command and other relevant security agencies had yet to confirm the reported attack.