Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams has condemned Tuesday night’s attack by bandits on the National Park Office in Oloka Village, Orire Local Government Area, Oyo State, resulting in the tragic loss of five National Park Officers and leaving several others injured.
He expressed condolences to the families of the fallen officers, noting that their dedication to preserving our national parks and ensuring environmental conservation was commendable.
In a statement on Thursday, Adams called on security agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice and preventing recurrence of such heinous acts.
He observed that the attack may be an attempt by the bandits to cow officials of the newly approved Forest Guards whose recruitment is ongoing.
He said that the attack underscored the urgent need for enhanced security measures within national parks and surrounding communities, especially those sharing with Kwara State.
Read Also:
Adams noted that the killings violated the sanctity of lives and posed a significant threat to public safety and the security of our communities.
“This brings us back to the burning issue of the need for state police. Our lawmakers and the federal government must urgently sign the state police into law and make it practiceable across all states of the federation. This is the only way to stop these kind of mindless killings.
“On our part, we are continuously engaging with southwest governors on the need to collaborate with Southwest Security Stakeholders Forum, under my leadership, on how to decisively tackle insecurity in our region,” he said.
Adams recalled that the bandits once dominated Oyo National Park at Kishi in Oke Ogun Oyo State until they were flushed out by the combined efforts of members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Vigilante and Hunters’ groups.
He stressed that over 33 security-relevant groups across the southwest, who were part of the recent Yoruba Security Conference in Lagos, had expressed readiness to partner with the national and state governments on improving security within the region.
