The Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has condemned the brutal attack on Oloka village, the killing of civilians and rangers within Old Oyo National Park, and sympathizes with the families of the forest guards

In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, Alaafin described the killing as an assault on Yoruba sovereignty and heritage.

Alaafin said, “The recent brutal killings inside Old Oyo National Park, especially the massacre at Oloko, is not merely a ‘security breach.’ It is a dagger plunged into the heart of our ancestral empire. Our sacred forests, our game reserves, our historic grounds, where our kings once hunted with spears and drums, are now being turned into slaughter yards by armed marauders. This Will Not Stand.”

The statement revealed that the Monarch demanded that the murder of innocent civilians, rangers, and travelers in Old Oyo National Park be investigated fully and that all perpetrators be brought to justice.

Alaafin calls for the establishment of a Military Base and the designation of Otefon Village as a permanent Armed Military Base of the kingdom to fortify the region and secure the Oyo-Oduduwa corridor.

He further requested the “Deployment of Yoruba Defense Force Battalion, under joint command of the Nigerian Army and traditional warrior chiefs to patrol the park 24/7 and repel invaders.

“Federal Recognition — call on the President and Ministry of Defence to declare Otefon a *Strategic National Security Zone* — and fund construction of barracks, watchtowers, and helipad within next few months.”

The Paramount Ruler who described banditry and other security challenges facing the country as “” gory, worrisome and disturbing””, pointed out that security is critical to the survival of any nation to forestall lawlessness, chaos and disorder.

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Oba Owoade lauded President Bola Tinubu’s demonstration, through actions, that ending insecurity is one of his administration’s foremost concern.

“our ancestors did not build empires to watch them crumble under banditry. We will rebuild the walls — not with mud, but with steel. Not with prayers alone, but with patrols. Not with silence, but with thunder,” Alaafin concluded.

Source: TVC