IBADAN, — The Oyo State Police Command has launched a statewide manhunt after gunmen attacked operatives at the Budo Masalasi Border Post, killing a police inspector and fleeing with his service rifle, authorities said Sunday.
Police identified the slain officer as Inspector Aliu Oluwole, saying he died while repelling the assailants during an exchange of gunfire. The attackers reportedly seized his AK-47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition (breach number 4516), a development that has raised fresh concerns about the risk of stolen firearms re-entering criminal circulation.
In a statement confirming the incident, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the Commissioner of Police had ordered an intensive operation to track down the perpetrators and recover the weapon. “Preliminary findings reveal that some of the attackers sustained gunshot injuries and are currently being pursued by security operatives,” he said.
Local reports said the attack occurred during a routine patrol when officers encountered a group of about 12 to 15 armed men suspected to be bandits, leading to a firefight in which the inspector was fatally wounded.
The police urged residents to support the investigation by reporting anyone presenting with gunshot injuries, seeking suspicious medical attention, or exhibiting unusual movements or behaviour. The command said enhanced security measures had been activated across the state, particularly around vulnerable corridors and border communities, and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
The killing comes amid heightened security anxiety in Oyo’s rural belt following a separate attack earlier this month on a National Park Service office in Oloka Community, Oriire Local Government Area, where five forest guards were killed, according to reports.
Oyo State officials have previously said arrests were made in connection with the Oloka killings, as security agencies widened operations around forest reserves and adjoining communities.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether Sunday’s attackers are linked to the Oloka incident or other recent raids in the wider axis, but investigators said all leads are being pursued as the manhunt continues.
