_Gun battle reported in Old Oyo National Park during anti-kidnap operation_
Several operatives of Iru Ekun, a private security outfit linked to Yoruba Nation campaigner Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, were injured on Monday after suspected cross-border bandits ambushed them in the Old Oyo National Park, Oyo State.
The team was on an operation to track and dislodge suspected kidnappers and other armed groups operating within the forest reserve when the attack occurred, sources familiar with the mission told our correspondent.
According to sources, the Iru Ekun operatives deployed surveillance drones to identify suspected criminal hideouts and monitor armed groups before moving into the area.
The operation turned violent when the team allegedly came under heavy gunfire from armed men believed to be members of cross-border criminal networks.
A fierce gun battle reportedly ensued inside the forest, during which several Iru Ekun members sustained gunshot wounds. The exact number of casualties had not been confirmed at the time of filing this report.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over the activities of kidnappers, bandits, and other armed groups operating in forests and remote communities across parts of the South-West.
Iru Ekun is a security group associated with Sunday Igboho and has been involved in several operations targeting criminal elements in Oyo and neighbouring states.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time. Calls placed to the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, were not answered.
