Attack on Old Oyo National Park Raises Fresh Security Fears in Oyo

 

A socio-cultural group, the Oyo Global Forum (OGF), has described the recent attack on the Old Oyo National Park as a disturbing pointer to growing security threats in Oyo State.

Five forest guards were reportedly killed on Tuesday when armed men suspected to be bandits invaded the park located at Oloka village in Orire Local Government Area. Two of the slain guards were identified as Hameed Quadri and Muideen Olalere.

The OGF, a network of professionals drawn from Afijio, Atiba, Oyo West and Oyo East local government areas, said the incident did not come as a surprise, given the strategic location of the park.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its chairman, Taiwo Adebayo, the group warned that violent crimes previously concentrated in northern Nigeria were gradually spreading to the South.

Adebayo explained that the Old Oyo National Park and its surrounding communities lie along expansive and poorly governed forest corridors linking parts of Kwara, Niger and Kebbi states—areas notorious for bandit activities.

He noted that earlier intelligence reports had pointed to the presence of strange and suspicious elements in the area, believed to be terrorist cells searching for new operational bases.

“The Old Oyo National Park is not only a repository of the historic relics of the Old Oyo Empire, it also hosts vulnerable communities that deserve adequate protection,” Adebayo said.

He called on federal, state and local governments to urgently work with host communities to establish an effective early warning system capable of feeding timely information into the security framework.

The OGF chairman also urged security agencies, particularly the Oyo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, to respond more swiftly and proactively to emerging threats in forested areas.

In addition, he appealed to federal lawmakers representing Oke-Ogun, Orire and Atiba constituencies to raise the matter on the floors of the National Assembly and demand urgent intervention from security authorities.

Adebayo further advocated the deployment of well-trained forest guards to the national park to safeguard lives, secure communities and reclaim the area from armed groups allegedly using it as hideouts.

He warned that failure to act decisively could allow criminal elements to gain a stronger foothold in the region, especially as security forces intensify operations against bandits in the North.