'There's credible intelligence of planned attack in Oriire LG' - Police, launch counter operations

‘There’s credible intelligence of planned attack in Oriire LG’ – Police, launch counter operations

Khalid ABRAHAM

The Nigeria Police Force has stated that it had beefed up security in Oriire local government area of Oyo state following an alleged letter by bandits to carry out another attack on Ikoyi-Ile headquarters of the council area on January 20.

Related Post:

‘We’ll strike Jan 20,’ bandits allegedly write Ikoyi town, as communities in Ogbomoso outskirts report nocturnal meetings by Fulani (SEE LETTER)

“The Oyo State Police Command has intensified security in Ikoyi-Ile, Oriire Local Government Area, following credible intelligence of a planned attack by suspected bandits, with patrols, stop-and-search operations, and surveillance already reinforced across the community,” the Force Public Relations Officer CSP Benjamin Hundeyin stated in social media post.

With the Oloka community just smarting from an attack by suspected bandits last Tuesday night which led to the killing of five park rangers, a note purportedly written by bandits was found beside a house in Ikoyi-Ile, few days ago, informing they would strike in the town on January 20.

This is as some communities in the outskirts of Ogbomoso towards Ikoyi axis have reported seeing strange men on bikes holding nocturnal meetings in their areas and speaking in language suspected to be Fulfude.

All this has led to a spike in security formation in the local government area with many travelling the routes in recent times confirming presence of security agents who conduct stop-and-search operations and engage in constant patrols. Local vigilantes, men of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), local hunters and so on are also being mobilised to the zone.

A large swath of lands in Oriire local government is covered by the Old Oyo National Park which provides ideal hiding place for bandits and other criminals.