Deborah Akinyosoye
Tensions in communities in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State as they witnessed a deadly attack by suspected bandits on the National Park Service (NPS) office in Oloka, which reportedly claimed the lives of four personnel.
The attack occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday when heavily armed gunmen stormed the National Park facility under the cover of darkness, catching NPS operatives unawares.
Sources said the assailants infiltrated the area unnoticed and launched a brutal assault, leaving at least four officers dead and several others injured.
Eyewitness accounts described the incident as violent and well-coordinated, sparking panic among residents of nearby communities, many of whom now fear further attacks.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said unidentified gunmen attacked personnel 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 stated.
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 forestall 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.