The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has denounced the recent assault on Oloka village and the killing of civilians and park rangers inside Old Oyo National Park, describing the incident as an attack on Yoruba heritage and sovereignty.
In a statement released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, after a solemn declaration at the Imperial Court of Oyo, the monarch said the incident goes beyond what can be dismissed as a mere “security breach.”
“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,” Oba Owoade said.
The Alaafin announced urgent steps aimed at safeguarding the area and averting further attacks, calling for a comprehensive and transparent probe into the killings and the swift arrest of those responsible. He described the incidents as “gory, worrisome, and deeply disturbing.”
Among his security recommendations, the paramount ruler demanded the creation of a permanent military base in Otefon village to function as a strategic outpost for securing the Oyo-Oduduwa corridor. He said the base should be equipped with barracks, watchtowers and a helipad, and be funded and formally designated by the federal government as a Strategic National Security Zone.
The monarch also called for the deployment of a Yoruba Defence Force battalion to operate under a joint command involving the Nigerian Army and traditional warrior chiefs, with a mandate to conduct round-the-clock patrols within the national park and confront invaders.
Oba Owoade commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its ongoing efforts to address insecurity across the country, stressing that security remains fundamental to the survival of any nation.
“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,” he declared.
The Alaafin extended condolences to the families of the slain forest guards and civilians, underscoring the cultural and historical importance of Old Oyo National Park as a critical symbol of Yoruba heritage.
Old Oyo National Park is widely regarded as both a historical and ecological asset, and the Alaafin’s demands are expected to intensify calls for federal and state intervention to end the violence and protect the ancestral lands of the Oyo Empire.
