Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has assured residents that his administration will take firm and decisive action to prevent a recurrence of the bandit attack that claimed the lives of five National Park Service forest guards in Orire Local Government Area.
The governor gave the assurance on Wednesday evening in a post on his verified Facebook page, following the attack on the National Park Office at Oloka Village in Oriire local government, earlier in the day.
Gov Makinde described the incident as a devastating loss, noting that the slain officers died while carrying out their lawful duties in the service of the country.
“Earlier today, there was a criminal attack by bandits at the National Park Office, Oloka Village which resulted in the death of five National Park Service Forest Guard Officers.
“This is a devastating loss of the lives of personnel in the course of carrying out their lawful duties,” the governor said, while praying for the repose of their souls.
He disclosed that preliminary investigations by security agencies revealed that the incident was a cross-border attack carried out by bandits operating from outside the state.
According to him, security agencies are already working collaboratively to address the situation, while intelligence-led efforts have been intensified to track those responsible.
The governor also called on residents, particularly those in Orire Local Government Area and other border communities, to remain calm and support security agencies with useful information.
“I appeal to residents of Oyo State, especially those in Orire LGA and other LGAs along our borders, to remain calm as the security agencies have restored normalcy and deployed more personnel to the area,” Makinde stated.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, stressing that no effort would be spared to forestall future attacks.
“Our administration will leave no stone unturned to respond decisively to prevent a recurrence of such attacks,” the governor added.
The attack is the latest in a series of security incidents linked to bandit movements along inter-state border communities in the South-West and North-Central regions.
In recent months, Oyo State has increased security surveillance and inter-agency cooperation around forest reserves and border towns, as authorities intensify efforts to curb the infiltration of criminal elements exploiting remote areas for violent activities.
