Bandits Strike Oyo Communities Again: One Dead in Kishi Attack, Deputy Governor Visits as Security Worsens
Suspected bandits launched attacks around the Igbeti-Kishi Old Oyo Reserve and the Igbeti-Igboho axis, leaving at least one person dead. The attacks occurred on Friday, June 12, and continued into Saturday, with heavily armed men dressed in military camouflage opening fire on travellers.
In the Friday attack, an electricity distribution worker, Mr. Kayode, was shot dead along the Kishi-Igbeti road . The vehicle he was travelling in was returning from picking up a pilgrim who had just completed the 2026 Hajj exercise when armed men emerged from the forest and opened fire.
A second attack took place on Saturday afternoon along the Igbope-Igbeti section of the road. Armed men in military-style uniforms ambushed motorists, targeting a red Volkswagen Golf saloon car and a commercial passenger bus. Four occupants of the Golf car sustained serious gunshot injuries, including the driver, Alhaji Rafiu Jimoh, and Mr. Jubril Jelili . The victims managed to drive back to Igboho for emergency treatment.
The Deputy Governor of Oyo State visited Kishi to assess the security situation in the affected areas, including Kishi and Igboho. Residents are demanding immediate, sustained tactical military and police deployments to clear the forest reserves of criminal elements who are using the vast terrain as a base for their operations .
The Old Oyo National Park, located between Kishi and Igbeti, has become a haven for bandits. The abducted schoolchildren and teachers from the Oriire Local Government Area are currently being held hostage deep within the park . The forest corridor has become a major infiltration route for armed groups fleeing military operations in the North .
The Oyo State Government has procured an aircraft for surveillance and recruited Amotekun personnel to ensure peace in the state. The Deputy Governor previously urged local government council chairmen in the Oke-Ogun zone to collaborate with the state government to frustrate terrorist acts . Despite these efforts, incidents of kidnapping, armed robbery, and banditry continue to occur in the area .