Bloodshed at Old Oyo National Park: How a Coordinated Bandit Raid Killed Five Rangers and Exposed Nigeria’s Deepening Security Crisis
Nigeria’s long-running internal security crisis took another tragic and deeply disturbing turn on the night of January 6, 2026, when heavily armed bandits launched a coordinated and deadly attack on Old Oyo National Park in Oloka, Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State. By the time the gunfire ended, five forest rangers and park operatives lay dead, brutally cut down in an assault that once again highlighted the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s protected spaces, rural communities, and security personnel.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m., has since drawn national attention—not only because of its brutality, but because it underscores how organized armed groups now operate with military-style precision, even within officially protected government territories. The attack also reinforces fears that banditry, once considered a northern Nigeria phenomenon, has firmly expanded into the South-West, challenging long-held assumptions about regional safety.
A Night of Terror Inside a National Park
According to official police briefings and security sources, the attackers arrived on motorcycles, a now-familiar operational pattern associated with mobile armed groups across Nigeria. Witness accounts and preliminary investigations indicate that the assailants were heavily armed, storming the park’s operational base and opening fire on forest guards and park officials without warning.
The victims—five men tasked with protecting Nigeria’s natural heritage—were reportedly overpowered by superior firepower, leaving them with little chance to defend themselves. The brutality of the attack shocked local communities and conservation stakeholders, many of whom have repeatedly warned that national parks have become soft targets for armed criminal networks.
Old Oyo National Park, one of Nigeria’s most historically significant conservation areas, has increasingly faced threats from illegal miners, poachers, kidnappers, and armed gangs, despite its protected status. The January 6 attack represents one of the deadliest assaults on park personnel in recent history.
Police Launch Immediate Manhunt
In response to the killings, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Femi Haruna, psc+, ordered the immediate deployment of tactical units and activated an intelligence-driven manhunt spanning multiple states.
According to police sources, the operation was swift, coordinated, and intelligence-led—marking a departure from the slow responses that often follow such incidents. Within days, security operatives tracked and apprehended seven members of the ten-man gang believed to be responsible for the attack.
The suspects were arrested across different locations nationwide, indicating the inter-state nature of the criminal network and reinforcing concerns about Nigeria’s porous borders and weak internal surveillance systems.
Suspects Arrested: Police Name Alleged Mastermind
Those arrested include the alleged mastermind of the attack and six other suspected gang members. Police identified them as:
Mohammed Dangi, 52 (alleged mastermind)
Abubakar Abdullahi
Sheu Usman
Toro Malami, 43
Usman Alhaji Ummaru
Laolo Muhammadu, 22
Usman Alhaji Isah, 32
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody and undergoing intensive interrogation.
The Motive: A Failed Prison-Break Operation
Investigations revealed that the attack was not random. Rather, it was a deliberate and calculated mission aimed at forcefully freeing members of the gang who had earlier been arrested by forest guards operating within the park.
Police sources disclosed that the suspects confessed to carrying out the assault with the specific objective of reclaiming their detained associates—an admission that sheds light on the increasing boldness and coordination of armed groups operating in Nigeria’s forests.
This revelation raises troubling questions:
How did a criminal gang possess enough intelligence to identify detention locations inside a national park?
How were they able to mobilize, arm themselves, and launch an attack without detection?
And how many similar groups are currently embedded within Nigeria’s vast forest corridors?
Confessions and Ongoing Intelligence Operations
The Oyo State Police Command confirmed that the arrested suspects are cooperating with investigators and providing what authorities described as “actionable intelligence.” This intelligence is reportedly being used to track down the remaining fleeing members of the gang, who are still at large.
Security analysts note that confessions alone are not enough. What matters is whether this intelligence leads to:
The dismantling of wider networks
The identification of sponsors and arms suppliers
The disruption of logistics and safe havens
Nigeria’s history shows that many bandit groups regenerate quickly when only foot soldiers are arrested, leaving financiers and coordinators untouched.
A Stark Warning About Nigeria’s Forests
The Old Oyo Park killings underscore a larger national problem: Nigeria’s forests have become operational bases for armed groups, largely due to limited surveillance, underfunded ranger units, and weak inter-agency coordination.
From Zamfara to Niger, from Ondo to Oyo, forested areas have increasingly been used for:
Kidnapping operations
Arms storage
Training camps
Illegal mining and smuggling
Security experts warn that unless forest security is treated as a national priority, attacks like the one at Old Oyo will continue to escalate.
Police Assure Residents: No Safe Haven for Criminals
In a firm statement, the Oyo State Police Command reassured residents that Oyo State will not be allowed to become a safe haven for criminals, stressing that the fight against banditry remains “firm, relentless, and uncompromising.”
The command emphasized its commitment to:
Sustained intelligence operations
Inter-state collaboration
Aggressive pursuit of fleeing suspects
While residents have welcomed the arrests, many insist that justice must go beyond press statements and result in swift prosecution and long-term security reforms.
Public Outrage and the Demand for Accountability
The killings sparked outrage across Oyo State and beyond. Civil society groups, conservationists, and community leaders have called for:
Better protection for forest guards
Improved equipment and training
Clear accountability for security lapses
For many Nigerians, the tragedy is not just about one attack—it is about a systemic failure to protect those who protect the nation’s land and resources.
Conclusion: A Test of Nigeria’s Resolve
The Old Oyo National Park massacre stands as a grim reminder that Nigeria’s security crisis is no longer distant or regional—it is national. The arrest of the alleged mastermind and six accomplices is a critical step, but it is only the beginning.
Whether this case becomes another forgotten headline or a turning point will depend on what happens next:
Will the remaining suspects be captured?
Will the networks behind them be dismantled?
Will forest security finally receive the attention it demands?
For the families of the five fallen rangers, justice cannot come fast enough. For Nigeria, the question is whether the state can still assert control over its territory—or whether armed groups will continue to test its limits.
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