The Oyo State Police Command has arrested seven members of the 10-man armed banditry gang, including the alleged mastermind and ring leader of the attack that led to the death of some forest rangers and operatives of the Old Oyo National Park.
On January 6, 2026, armed bandits, who reportedly arrived in large numbers on motorcycles with sophisticated firearms, invaded the Old Oyo National Park office and launched a violent attack on forest guards and other personnel.
The attack tragically resulted in the death of five persons.
Spokesman for the Command, Ayanlade Olayinka, said in response to the violent invasion, and upon receipt of the report of the attack, the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, immediately directed deployment of necessary operational assets to the affected area and ordered that the Command Monitoring Unit take over the investigation.
According to him, the 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.
He said: “The suspects were apprehended at their various hideouts across different locations in the country through painstaking, intelligence-led investigation.
“Flowing from the arrests, the three suspects initially apprehended were identified as Mohammed Dangi – Male, 52 years, Abubakar Abdullahi – Male, adult, Sheu Usman – Male, adult
“During sustained interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and provided detailed accounts of how ten (10) members of their armed banditry group, riding on five motorcycles, carried out the attack.
“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 for various criminal activities within the National Park and adjoining communities, which they successfully did during the attack.
“Building on these confessions and intelligence disclosures, further discreet investigation led to the arrest of four (4) additional members of the syndicate on 25th January, 2026. They are: Toro Malami – Male, 43 years, Usman Alhaji Ummaru – Male, adult, Laolo Muhammadu – Male, 22 years, Usman Alhaji Isah – Male, 32 years
“Significantly, the arrested suspects, which include the alleged mastermind and ring leader of the attack, have continued to provide credible and actionable intelligence, thereby strengthening ongoing efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang.
“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 reassured residents that the Command was doing everything possible in collaboration with other security agencies, to ensure the safety of lives and property across the State.
He urged members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified or misleading information, as such acts are capable of creating unnecessary panic and undermining public peace.