Several members of a private security outfit linked to Yoruba Nation campaigner Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, were reportedly injured after suspected bandits ambushed them during an operation in the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State.

The incident occurred while operatives of Iru Ekun, a security outfit associated with Igboho, were conducting an operation to track and dislodge suspected kidnappers and other armed criminals believed to be operating within the forest reserve.

Sources familiar with the operation said the team deployed surveillance drones to identify suspected criminal hideouts and monitor the movements of armed groups before advancing into the area.

The operatives were reportedly attacked by heavily armed men believed to be members of cross-border criminal networks, leading to a fierce gun battle inside the forest.

Several members of the security outfit sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange, although the exact number of casualties had not been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

The incident has renewed concerns over the activities of suspected kidnappers, bandits and other armed groups operating in forests and remote communities across parts of the South-West.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls placed to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, were not answered at the time of filing this report.