Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
No fewer than four security personnel attached to the National Park Service were on Tuesday night killed by suspected bandits at Oloka in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The attack, which occurred at about 9:00 p.m., was carried out when heavily armed assailants invaded the facility under the cover of darkness, triggering panic among residents of the area.
Community sources said the attackers infiltrated the area undetected before launching a coordinated and brutal assault on the security personnel.
Following the attack, four officers were confirmed dead, while several others sustained injuries.
Residents described the incident as a well-planned operation, noting that the assailants struck swiftly before security reinforcement could arrive.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said unidentified gunmen attacked officers of the National Park Service.
“Yes, there was an attack by yet-to-be-identified men on officers of the National Park Service. The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, alongside other security chiefs, is currently on the way to the location,” Ayanlade said.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Femi Haruna, has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical teams, operatives of the Mobile Police Force, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit to the area to prevent any further breakdown of law and order.
“Security presence has since been reinforced in and around the affected community as investigations into the attack continue,” the police spokesperson stated.
