The Oyo State Police Command has announced a major breakthrough with the arrest of seven suspects linked to the deadly attack on the Old Oyo National Park in the Oloka area, which claimed five lives.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Alayande, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying a coordinated operation by combined security forces led to the arrests.
According to the statement, the suspects include the alleged mastermind and ringleader of the 10-man armed bandit gang responsible for the brutal assault on forest rangers and National Park operatives in Orire Local Government Area.
The attack occurred on 6 January 2026 at about 9:00 pm, when armed bandits reportedly arrived on motorcycles and invaded the Old Oyo National Park office with sophisticated firearms. The assailants killed five people during the violent operation.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Femi Haruna, ordered the deployment of key operational assets to the area and directed the Command Monitoring Unit to take over the investigation. This decision triggered an intensive, intelligence-driven operation.
Police initially arrested three suspects—Mohammed Dangi, 52; Abubakar Abdullahi; and Sheu Usman. Intelligence obtained from them later led to the arrest of four additional suspects, including the alleged gang leader.
DSP Alayande said the suspects confessed to carrying out the attack and explained how 10 members of the gang, riding on five motorcycles, executed the operation. Their main objective, police said, was to forcibly free members of their syndicate who had earlier been arrested by forest guards for criminal activities within the park and surrounding communities, which they succeeded in doing during the attack.
The four additional suspects arrested on 25 January 2026 were identified as Toro Malami, 43; Usman Alhaji Ummaru; Laolo Muhammadu, 22; and Usman Alhaji Isah, 32.
The Command said the arrested suspects were providing credible and actionable intelligence, aiding efforts to apprehend other fleeing gang members.
Police reassured residents of their commitment to protecting lives and property and urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information that could cause panic. The Command also commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his support and praised the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for his leadership and operational guidance.