The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed that 12 members of local vigilante groups, including the Baale of Ogbayo, were killed during an armed attack on Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area on Sunday morning.
According to a statement issued by the command, the gunmen stormed the Ogbayo axis of Oke-Ode at about 7:00 a.m. and opened fire.
“At about 7:00am today, armed men invaded the Ogbayo area of Oke-Ode, shooting sporadically. A combined team of police operatives and members of the National Forest Security Service responded swiftly to the scene, where they discovered 12 lifeless bodies of vigilante members, including the Baale of Ogbayo,” the statement read.
The police added that the victims died of multiple gunshot wounds, while four others injured in the attack were rushed to hospital for treatment.
The statement said police operatives are working with the military and the National Forest Security Service to pursue the attackers.
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“The Kwara State Police Command, in collaboration with the military and NFSS, has intensified efforts to track down the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Manhunt operations are ongoing and the Command assures residents that those responsible will be brought to justice,” the statement continued.
Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen, who arrived in large numbers, engaged the vigilantes in a fierce confrontation. A video circulating after the incident shows bodies lying in pools of blood as relatives and sympathisers wailed nearby.
A local resident described the atmosphere as dire, linking the tragedy to the withdrawal of soldiers previously deployed to the area.
“We don’t know why they withdrew the soldiers. Now our people are exposed. We learnt that 10 people were killed and five were kidnapped. The situation is now terrible,” the source said.
The attack has deepened fears in the community, where residents rely heavily on vigilante groups to protect them from frequent bandit incursions across Kwara South and North.
Meanwhile, the Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, reacted to the tragedy in a WhatsApp group, calling the killings “devastating beyond words.”
“This is sad. Devastating beyond words. Pls be patient. It could have been worse without the effort of the forest guards. Three guards died, one got injured. Many of the attackers also died,” he said.
Police said further updates on the investigation will be made available in due course.