Police have arrested seven suspected members of the armed banditry gang who attacked Old Oyo National Park in the Oloka area of Orire Local Government Area, Oyo State where fatalities were reportedly recorded.
The attack, which occurred on January 6, 2026, claimed lives of five persons, including forest rangers and operatives of the National Park.
This is contained in a statement by the Nigeria Police, Oyo State Command through its Public Relations Officer DSP Olayinka Ayanlade indicating that the suspects arrested included the ringleader of the syndicate.
According to the Command, the attackers, heavily armed with sophisticated firearms, stormed the National Park office at about Nine o’clock in the night on motorcycles, overwhelmed personnel on duty, and forcefully freed detained gang members earlier arrested for various criminal activities within the park and surrounding communities.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Femi Haruna, immediately deployed operational assets to the area and directed the Command Monitoring Unit to take over the investigation.
“The intelligence-driven operation led to the arrest of three initial suspects identified as Mohammed Dangi (52), Abubakar Abdullahi, and Sheu Usman. Police said interrogation of the suspects revealed that a 10-man gang operating on five motorcycles carried out the attack” The Statement added
Further investigations, based on actionable intelligence, resulted in the arrest of four additional suspects on January 25, 2026. They include Toro Malami (43), Usman Alhaji Ummaru, Laolo Muhammadu (22), and Usman Alhaji Isah (32).
The Command said the arrested suspects has continue to provide credible intelligence, aiding ongoing efforts to track down other fleeing members of the gang and recover weapons used in the attack.
