By Ayomide Otitoju
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has assured residents that those responsible for the attack that claimed the lives of five forest guards will be brought to justice.
Makinde gave the assurance in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, where he condemned the attack and urged residents to remain calm as security agencies intensify investigations to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
According to the governor, the attack occurred earlier in the day at the National Park Office in Oloka Village, where suspected bandits launched a criminal assault that resulted in the death of five officers of the National Park Service.
“This is a devastating loss of lives of personnel who were carrying out their lawful duties. May their souls rest in peace,” Makinde said.
He disclosed that preliminary findings by security agencies indicated that the incident was a cross-border attack carried out by bandits. He added that security agencies were already working collaboratively to address the situation and called on residents in the affected areas to support ongoing intelligence-gathering efforts.
The governor also appealed to residents, particularly those in Oriire Local Government Area and other border communities, to remain calm, noting that normalcy had been restored with the deployment of additional security personnel to the area.
“Our administration will leave no stone unturned in responding decisively to prevent a recurrence of such attacks,” he assured.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command confirmed the incident, clarifying that contrary to some media reports, the attack was solely directed at the forest rangers’ office.
Police reports indicated that about 12 armed attackers emerged from adjoining bushes, opened sporadic gunfire on the rangers’ office, and fled the scene.
The command said the remains of the slain officers had been deposited, while the crime scene was forensically examined to gather evidence. The Area Commander, Divisional Police Officer of Ikoyi Division, tactical teams, and other operatives were deployed to secure the area and conduct investigations.
Speaking during an on-the-spot security assessment on Wednesday, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Femi Haruna, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, assuring residents that all necessary measures were being taken to ensure the swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
