Police arrest seven suspects over Oyo National Park attack

Police have confirmed the arrest of the seven suspects in connection with banditry attacks on the old National Park in Ikoyi Ile, Oyo.

The suspects include the alleged mastermind and ring leader of the highly dreaded ten-man armed banditry gang.

They were alleged to be responsible for the brutal assault on forest rangers and operatives of the National Park.

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The Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, in a statement made available to the newsmen on Saturday confirmed their arrest.

He gave their names as: Mohammed Dangi – Male, 52 years, Abubakar Abdullahi – Male, adult, Sheu Usman – Male, adult.Toro Malami – Male, 43 years, Usman Alhaji Ummaru – Male, adult, Laolo Muhammadu – Male, 22 years and Usman Alhaji Isah – Male, 32 years.

The statement read, “On response to this violent development, and upon receipt of the report of the attack, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Femi Haruna, psc+, immediately directed the deployment of necessary operational assets to the affected area and ordered that the Command Monitoring Unit 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.

“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 and 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 and 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.

Against this backdrop, the Oyo State Police Command reassures the good people of the State that it is doing everything possible, in collaboration with other security agencies, to ensure the safety of lives and property across the State.

“Members of the public are strongly advised to refrain from spreading unverified or misleading information, as such acts are capable of creating unnecessary panic and undermining public peace.”