The Oyo State Police Command has apprehended seven members of a 10-man armed gang believed to be behind the January 6 attack on forest rangers at Old Oyo National Park, an incident that left five people dead.
Ayanlade Olayinka, the command’s public relations officer, described the arrests as a “significant operational breakthrough” in a statement issued on Saturday.
He said the suspects include the alleged ringleader of the violent assault, which took place in the Oloka area of Orire LGA.
“As earlier reported, the incident occurred on 6th January, 2026, at about 2100 hours, when the armed bandits, who reportedly arrived in large numbers on motorcycles and were armed with sophisticated firearms, invaded the Old Oyo National Park office and launched a violent attack on forest rangers and other personnel. The attack tragically resulted in the death of five (5) persons,” Olayinka said.
He added that following the attack, Femi Haruna, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, ordered immediate deployment of operational assets to the area and directed the command monitoring unit to take over the investigation.
“This directive marked the commencement of an intensive, intelligence-driven operation, which led to the initial arrest of three (3) suspects, followed by the subsequent arrest of four (4) additional suspects,” Olayinka stated.
The first three individuals arrested were Mohammed Dangi, 52; Abubakar Abdullahi; and Sheu Usman. During questioning, they admitted involvement in the attack and provided detailed accounts of how ten members of their gang, riding five motorcycles, carried out the assault.
“Crucially, investigations revealed that the primary intention of the assailants was to forcefully free members of their armed banditry syndicate who had earlier been arrested and were in the custody of forest guards… which they successfully did during the attack,” Olayinka said.
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Further investigations led to the arrest of four more suspects on January 25. They were identified as Toro Malami, 43; Usman Alhaji Ummaru; Laolo Muhammadu, 22; and Usman Alhaji Isah, 32.
Olayinka noted that the suspects have continued to provide “credible and actionable intelligence” to assist in apprehending the remaining gang members.
“Operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, in collaboration with other security agencies, are intensifying efforts to ensure that all remaining suspects are tracked down and brought to justice,” he said.
He reassured residents that the command remains committed to protecting lives and property across Oyo State, urging the public to avoid spreading unverified information that could cause panic.
“The Oyo State Police Command states unequivocally that Oyo State will never be allowed to serve as a safe haven for criminal elements,” Olayinka added.