By Peter Omopo
Former Senate Leader and Oyo State Ambassador of the Renewed Hope initiative, Senator Teslim Folarin, has condemned the deadly attack on the National Park Service office at Oloka Village, Oyo State, describing it as a grave assault on peace and security.
Reacting to the incident on Thursday, Senator Folarin expressed deep sorrow over the killing of five National Park Service forest guards who lost their lives while performing their lawful duties. He described the attack as senseless and reiterated that criminality and banditry have no place in Oyo State or anywhere in Nigeria.
The former lawmaker extended his condolences to the families of the slain officers, the National Park Service and all those affected by the incident, praying for the repose of the souls of the deceased and comfort for their loved ones.
Folarin noted that he had taken cognisance of the official statement issued by the Oyo State Government, which indicated that preliminary findings by security agencies suggested the attack was carried out by cross-border bandits. He commended the swift response and coordination of the security agencies, describing their prompt intervention as critical to restoring calm and tracking down those responsible.
He stressed that criminal acts of such nature must be collectively resisted, urging residents to unite against violence and support security agencies with timely and credible intelligence to aid ongoing operations.
The former Senate Leader also appealed to residents of Oloka and other border communities to remain calm and vigilant, while cooperating fully with security personnel deployed to the affected areas. According to him, security is a shared responsibility that requires active community participation.
Speaking on behalf of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in Oyo State, Folarin reaffirmed support for all lawful measures being taken by the government and security agencies to safeguard lives and property. He added that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture, enhancing inter-agency collaboration and confronting criminal elements decisively wherever they operate.
“We must not allow fear to prevail,” Folarin said, expressing confidence that the perpetrators would be brought to justice and that lasting peace would be restored in Oyo State.
