RESIDENTS SEEK MAKINDE’S INTERVENTION AFTER GUNMEN ATTACK NPS OFFICE, KILL FIVE IN OYO COMMUNITY
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By: Sefiu Ajape
Residents and stakeholders of Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State have called on Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently intervene following a deadly attack on a National Park Service (NPS) office in Oloka community.
The assault, carried out by suspected bandits on Tuesday night, left at least five forest guards dead.
In a letter addressed to the governor on Wednesday, the residents said the attack occurred in Oloka Village, Ward 4 of the local government, describing the incident as a clear sign that the area has become unsafe for both security personnel and civilians.
They warned that Oriire Local Government, the third largest in Oyo State by landmass and sharing a boundary with Kwara State, has increasingly become a hideout for armed groups displaced from neighbouring states.
“Bandit/terrorists invaded Oloka Village in Ward 4 of the Local Government and killed about five staff of the National Park Service (Forest Guard),” the letter read.
The residents expressed fear that the attackers may have spread across the 10 wards of the local government, noting that communities can no longer sleep with both eyes closed due to growing insecurity.
They also raised concerns that the attack occurred barely days after security surveillance aircraft were sighted around Ikoyi-Ile axis, which they believed was part of an operation to track criminal elements operating within the forests.
“As the Chief Security Officer of the state, we seek your urgent intervention. If National Park Service staff were killed, what about ordinary citizens who have no means of defence?” the letter added.
The appeal followed a coordinated attack on the National Park Service office in Oloka, Orire Local Government Area, around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, during which gunmen stormed the facility and killed at least five personnel.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, had deployed tactical teams, Mobile Police Force operatives and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units to the area.
“Yes, there was an attack by yet-to-be-identified men against the men of the National Park,” Olayinka said, adding that security chiefs were already on their way to the scene to assess the situation.
He noted that the bodies of the victims were yet to be recovered, as they were believed to be within the surrounding forest.
Residents said the attack has worsened fears in the area, particularly as the Old Oyo National Park and its surrounding forests have long been suspected hideouts for bandits and kidnappers.
They warned that farming and trading, the main sources of livelihood in Oriire Local Government, have been severely disrupted, leaving many families stranded and afraid to access their farmlands and markets.
The residents urged the state government and security agencies to urgently reinforce security in the area to prevent further attacks and restore confidence among local communities.
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