Nigerian Army destroys suspected criminal hideouts in Old Oyo National Park

Troops of the Nigerian Army have recovered an AK-47 rifle and destroyed suspected criminal hideouts during a security operation in the Old Oyo National Park, where armed groups have been accused of operating.

The operation conducted on November 7 and 8 by troops of Operation IGBO DANU II under the Army’s 2 Division, also led to the recovery of a Dane gun and an empty magazine, while the body of a suspected criminal was discovered during a follow-up operation.

The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement published on its official website on Monday, saying the operation was carried out in collaboration with hybrid forces.

It stated that troops encountered suspected criminal elements inside the park on 7 November, but the suspects fled as the soldiers advanced towards them.

The troops subsequently recovered an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine and a Dane gun, which the Army said had further weakened the capabilities of the fleeing suspects.

“On 7 November 2026, troops conducting operations within the park engaged suspected criminal elements who fled upon sighting the advancing troops,” the Army said.

During a follow-up operation the following day, soldiers discovered the corpse of one of the suspects who had fled during the initial encounter.

The Army also said the troops destroyed temporary shelters believed to have been used as hideouts by criminal elements operating within the forest.

It added that the operation was part of efforts to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt their activities and prevent armed groups from using forested areas as safe havens.

“Exploitation of the general area is ongoing to track fleeing elements and prevent their regrouping,” the statement added.

The Army did not identify the deceased suspect or disclose the exact location of the encounter within the national park. It also did not provide details about the origin of the recovered weapons.

The operation followed the launch of Operation IGBO DANU, also known as Operation Forest Flush, in January 2026, which targeted bandit enclaves in Kwara State.

Park’s security concerns

The latest operation comes amid growing security concerns over the use of the Old Oyo National Park as a hideout by suspected kidnappers and other criminal groups.

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On 15 May, 46 pupils and teachers were abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and taken into the national park.

The difficult terrain reportedly posed challenges to rescue efforts before security agencies eventually freed the victims on July 10, after 56 days in captivity.

The rescue operation involved the military and other security agencies and was reportedly driven by intelligence gathering and efforts to dismantle the kidnappers’ networks, informants and hideouts within the park.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in October that the the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s 2 Division, Auwalu Mahmuda, a major general, announced that the military had taken over the entire park as a training ground to prevent criminal groups from using the forest as a hideout.

The latest operation forms part of Operation IGBO DANU II, a military campaign aimed at flushing out armed groups and denying them safe havens in forested areas.