The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the death of at least 12 persons, including the Baale of Ogbayo, following a bandits’ attack on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

The incident occurred around 7 a.m. on Sunday when gunmen stormed the Ogbayo area of Oke-Ode, shooting sporadically and targeting members of the local vigilante group.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said in a statement that operatives of the command, alongside personnel of the National Forest Security Service (NFSS), responded swiftly to distress calls but met the lifeless bodies of 12 vigilante members, including the community head.

Four others who sustained injuries during the attack were rushed to hospital for treatment, while the corpses of the deceased were evacuated.

“At about 7:00 a.m. today, armed men invaded the Ogbayo area of Oke-Ode, shooting sporadically. A combined team of police operatives and members of the NFSS responded swiftly to the scene, where they discovered 12 lifeless bodies of vigilante members, including the Baale of Ogbayo,” the statement read in part.

Ejire-Adeyemi added that the police, in collaboration with the military and NFSS, had intensified a manhunt to track down the perpetrators, assuring residents that those responsible would be brought to justice.

The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, while commiserating with the bereaved families, condemned the killings, describing them as “heinous.” He pledged the command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property across Kwara State.