BREAKING: Suspected Bandits Launch Attack on Sunday Igboho’s Security Team in Oyo Forest

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According to a report by Vanguard News published on Friday, June 26, 2026, several operatives of a private security outfit linked to Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, sustained injuries after they were reportedly ambushed by suspected cross-border bandits during an operation in the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State.

The report stated that the operatives, who belong to the Iru Ekun security outfit, had embarked on a mission to track down and flush out suspected kidnappers and other armed criminal groups believed to be hiding within the vast forest reserve. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to curb the growing activities of criminal gangs that have allegedly been using the forest as a base for attacks and kidnappings.

Sources familiar with the operation disclosed that the security team relied on surveillance drones to monitor the movement of the suspected criminals and identify possible hideouts before advancing into the forest. The aerial surveillance reportedly helped guide the operatives as they moved deeper into the difficult terrain in search of the armed groups.

However, the mission reportedly took a dangerous turn when the operatives came under heavy gunfire from suspected bandits believed to be members of cross-border criminal networks. The attackers allegedly launched a coordinated ambush, resulting in a fierce exchange of gunfire between both sides inside the forest.

Several members of the Iru Ekun team were reportedly hit by bullets during the confrontation. Although the injured operatives were later evacuated from the scene for medical attention, the exact number of casualties had not been officially confirmed as of the time the report was filed. Details regarding the condition of those injured also remained unavailable.

The incident has renewed concerns over the increasing activities of kidnappers, bandits, and other armed groups operating in forests and remote communities across parts of South-West Nigeria. The Old Oyo National Park has frequently been mentioned in security reports as one of the areas where criminal elements take advantage of the dense vegetation and difficult terrain to evade security forces.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain an official response from the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls placed to the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, were reportedly not answered, and no official statement had been issued regarding the incident at the time of the report.