Audaciously, bandits have allegedly written the people of Ikoyi-Ile, headquarters of Oriire local government area in Oyo state that they would begin their operations in the area January 20, which is two Tuesdays away. The development has escalated panic in the council area.
In similar vein residents of communities in the outskirts of Ogbomoso especially towards Ikoyi axis have raised alarm that they have been spotting strange faces in their areas holding meetings in the dead of the night. One such area according to findings by ogbomosoinsightonline.com is Omo-o-Jeun area, lying towards Ikoyi-Ile. “It is true, there was a gathering of people we were sure were of Fulani stock at a junction in our area behind Omo-o-Jeun Hotel on Wednesday/Thursday night,” a resident who however pleaded to remain anonymous, informed ogbomosoinsghtonline.com. “It is unambiguous, people sighted them, residents later met in the day and we reported at the office of Amotekun Corps, where it was disclosed, they had received similar reports from other communities.
They however complained hey were ill-equipped for such emergency in terms of men, and equipment and that they didn’t even know how to deploy their men in the face of the intelligence reports coming in. They therefore advised us to alert other agencies.” When contacted this was confirmed at the Amotekun Corps office in the city
Recall that Tuesday night, suspected bandits opened fire on officers of the Nigeria Park Service in their office at Oloka near Ikoyi – Ile, killing five on the spot. This has elicited heightened security alarm, though the Oyo state Commissioner of Police has assured the Police are on top of the situation.
Coming on the heels of that is the letter purportedly written by bandits threatening to strike in Ikoyi on the 20th of this month. The untyped letter in Yoruba, which bore neither address nor signature, and obtained by Ogbomoso Insight has as title, “Lati Odo Bandit.” It reads: “LATI ODO BANDIT,” A o wa ni January 20th, 2026. E duro de wa ati pe ki e mu ra fun wa le. A wa lati wa fun yin ni ibanuje ni orilede yin. Ni Ikoyi – Ile Oyo State. E mu ra le fun wa.” (From the bandit: We will come on January 20th, 2026. Wait for us. Moreover, prepare for us, we are coming to unleash sorrow in your nation. At Ikoyi-Ile Oyo State. Prepare for us).
Another one says: “Bandit Information – See, now, Three day we work for you. We said you in Ikoyi – Ile is the government that send us. Wait for us.”Whether this actually emanated from bandits or not could not be verified, even as the two notes were said to have been dropped at the residence of a former local government lawmaker residing in Ikoyi, one in the front the other behind the building.
Efforts of Ogbomoso Insight to speak with the man who reportedly found the letters, one Fatai Saidu, proved abortive as calls to his mobile line did not get through. But according to information security agents are well aware of the threat.
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