Troops kill suspect, recover AK-47 in old Oyo park

By: Kingsley Omonobi Troops of Operation IGBO DANU II, under the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, have neutralised a suspected criminal and recovered an AK-47 rifle and other weapons during an operation in the Old Oyo National Park. The operation, conducted in collaboration with hybrid forces, also led to the destruction of temporary shelters suspected to have been used as hideouts by criminal elements operating in the forest.

The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement, saying the encounter occurred on November 7, 2026, when troops conducting operations within the park engaged suspected criminals who fled upon sighting the advancing forces. The statement said the troops subsequently recovered an AK-47 rifle, one empty magazine and a Dane gun from the area. It added that during a follow-up operation on November 8, troops discovered the corpse of one of the fleeing suspects, confirming that one criminal element had been neutralised.

According to the Army, the destruction of the temporary shelters was aimed at disrupting criminal activities and denying the suspects safe havens within the forested area. It said troops, in collaboration with other security stakeholders, remained committed to sustaining operations to dismantle criminal networks, deny them operational bases and restore security across the 2 Division Area of Responsibility.

The Army added that exploitation of the general area was ongoing to track fleeing suspects and prevent them from regrouping.