Troops of the Nigerian Army have recovered an AK-47 rifle and discovered the corpse of a suspected bandit during a security operation in the Old Oyo National Park, as military forces intensify efforts to dismantle criminal hideouts in the area.
The operation, conducted under Operation IGBO DANU II, involved Nigerian Army troops working alongside hybrid forces.
According to an operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, the troops engaged suspected bandits on Saturday, prompting the criminals to flee upon sighting the advancing security forces.
During the encounter, the troops recovered an AK-47 rifle with registration number 14907, an empty magazine and a Dane gun.
The report further disclosed that a follow-up operation conducted on Sunday led to the discovery of the corpse of a suspected bandit.
The troops also destroyed temporary structures believed to have been used as hideouts by the fleeing criminal elements.
Military authorities said the search operation was ongoing, adding that no further contact with the suspected bandits had been recorded.
The operation forms part of ongoing military efforts to deny armed criminal groups access to safe havens, dismantle their operational networks and strengthen security within the affected areas.
The Old Oyo National Park, which spans parts of Oyo and Kwara states, has been among the forested areas where security operations are necessary to prevent criminal elements from exploiting difficult terrain for concealment and movement.
The military has continued to sustain operations aimed at restricting the activities of armed groups and improving security across vulnerable communities.
