New details have emerged regarding the violent encounter between Sunday Igboho’s “Iru Ekun” security outfit and suspected armed groups within the Old Oyo National Park. The firefight, which left multiple operatives injured, provides a harrowing look at the volatile security landscape currently gripping Oyo State’s forest reserves….See More
According to a member of the Iru Ekun team, the clash was triggered during a routine surveillance patrol near the Igbeti axis of the park. While navigating deep into the reserve, the team spotted two unidentified men in a remote location. When the suspects fled upon sighting the patrol, the security team initiated a pursuit.
“As soon as they saw us, they ran into the forest. We also moved after them because it was unusual to find people and a moving vehicle at that location,” the operative explained in a video recording.
The mission quickly turned into a gun battle as the suspects opened fire. One operative sustained a severe leg injury from multiple gunshot wounds, requiring emergency first aid from police officers attached to the team before he could be evacuated for professional medical care. Several other members of the group also reported minor injuries during the exchange.
The Old Oyo National Park has become a flashpoint for criminal activity, with local communities living under the constant threat of kidnapping. The region remains on edge following the mass abduction of over 40 schoolchildren and teachers from the Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026. The tragedy took a horrific turn when Michael Oyedokun, a teacher, was beheaded by his captors, sparking national outrage.
Sunday Igboho, who rose to prominence in 2021, launched the Iru Ekun network in May 2026 with the explicit aim of “fishing out” terrorists and kidnappers from the forests across the South-West, as well as Yoruba-speaking regions of Kogi and Kwara states. He has argued that with a Yoruba leader now in the presidency, he feels a renewed responsibility to contribute to regional stability.
“What we can do as contribution is to go into the forests and fish out the terrorists, even if you are Yoruba,” Igboho stated in a recent address to his network.
As the hunt for the kidnappers behind the Oriire mass abduction continues, Igboho’s forces have pledged to maintain their patrols. The escalating violence within these remote forests highlights the increasing reliance on private security initiatives as communities attempt to navigate the limitations of formal law enforcement in securing vast, ungoverned territories…See More
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