Several Hurt as Iru Ekun Operatives Clash With Gunmen in Oyo
Several operatives of a private security outfit associated with Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, were injured after suspected bandits reportedly ambushed them during an operation inside the Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State.
The personnel, members of the Iru Ekun group linked to Igboho, were said to be on a mission to track and flush out suspected kidnappers and other armed criminals believed to be operating within the forest reserve. Sources familiar with the operation said the team deployed surveillance drones to locate hideouts and monitor the movement of armed groups before advancing into the area.
The operation reportedly turned deadly when the operatives came under fire from heavily armed men suspected to be part of cross-border criminal gangs active in the region. According to the sources, the assailants opened fire on the advancing team, sparking a fierce gun battle deep inside the forest. Several members sustained gunshot injuries, though the exact number of casualties could not be independently confirmed at the time of filing this report.
The clash unfolds against a backdrop of mounting insecurity around the park, which straddles the Oke Ogun corridor. On May 15, 2026, pupils were abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School. Bandits killed a teacher during the raid, while scores of schoolchildren and teachers were kidnapped, and one teacher was later beheaded in captivity. Reports placed the number of abducted at no fewer than 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers.
The abductions thrust Igboho’s proposed outfit into national debate. Igboho has said the Federal Government approved his Iru Ekun Security Network, but the Oyo State Government restricted its operations. He has insisted he never demanded money to assist, adding that state authorities told him the kidnappers threatened to kill the children if he intervened directly.
Igboho’s involvement carries a charged history. During the Buhari administration, he campaigned to forcefully evict killer herdsmen and kidnappers from the South West, a stance that, alongside his calls for a Yoruba Nation, collided with the Federal Government. Security forces raided his home, killing two of his aides, and he fled to Benin Republic, where he was apprehended in July 2021 while attempting to travel to Germany. He later returned to Nigeria after the intervention of traditional rulers and politicians.
State authorities have leaned on movement restrictions. Governor Seyi Makinde approved a 24 hour extension of an earlier curfew on 10 local government areas bordering the Old Oyo National Park, keeping it in force until Saturday, June 27, 2026. The affected councils are Oriire, Orelope, Irepo, Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Olorunsogo and Atiba.
Legal questions trail the Iru Ekun deployment. Analysts have cautioned that any civilian security formation operating outside established legal frameworks could pose constitutional and security risks, even as worsening kidnappings leave many communities feeling abandoned.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Oyo State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls placed to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, were not answered as of press time.