The Nigerian Army has taken over the Old Oyo National Park and designated the facility as a training ground in a move aimed at preventing criminal elements from using the vast forest as a hideout.
The General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Auwalu Mahmuda, disclosed this on Wednesday while receiving members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Oyo State Council, at the division’s headquarters in Odogbo, Akinyele Local Government Area.
According to Mahmuda, the decision followed the abduction and subsequent rescue of more than 40 schoolchildren and their teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
He said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shuaibu, had directed the 2 Division to convert the park into a training area, thereby allowing troops to maintain a stronger presence within the expansive forest.
Mahmuda said the measure was intended to prevent kidnappers and other criminals from exploiting the park as a base for their activities.
The GOC said the park had effectively become inaccessible to criminal elements following the Army’s takeover.
“On the order of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shuaibu, the 2 Division has taken over the entire stretch of the Old Oyo National Park as a training site in order to prevent a repeat of the Oriire kidnap saga.
With the 2 Division fully utilising the park, it will be a herculean task for men of the underworld to use it as their hideout,” Mahmuda said.
More than 40 pupils and their teachers were abducted on Friday, May 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked three schools in Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
The victims spent 56 days in captivity before they were rescued by a joint security operation on Friday, July 10, 2026.
Speaking further, Mahmuda urged the media to strengthen its partnership with the military, particularly in countering misinformation and fake news.
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He advised journalists to confirm security-related information with the military before publication or broadcast, warning that spreading unverified reports could worsen an already sensitive situation.
“I will appeal to you to avoid publishing information without first confirming its exact and true nature with the military. Sometimes, when unverified information is released, it can cause more harm than the information it intended to address,” he said.
The Army commander expressed concern that some journalists sometimes publish information without adequate verification, stressing that false reports can spread quickly and result in lasting damage.
“I want to reassure you that the Nigerian Army sees journalists as partners, but they are also expected to play their part in demonstrating clearly that they are partners of the Nigerian Army,” he said.
Mahmuda commended members of the Correspondents’ Chapel for reporting the activities of the 2 Division and highlighting its contributions to national development.
“We are all Nigerians, irrespective of the fact that some of us wear uniforms. I believe that, whatever we are doing, we are all working towards the success and development of this country,” he said.
He also called for closer cooperation between the military and journalists to educate Nigerians about ongoing efforts by the Army and other security agencies to combat insecurity.
“I have seen journalists go to places where other civilians dare to set their foot. They put themselves in difficult and dangerous situations simply to obtain accurate information that can be shared with the public,” he said.
The GOC further pledged to support the Correspondents’ Chapel in areas such as training and medical outreach, particularly as the chapel prepares for its forthcoming Press Week.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Yinka Adeniran, praised the 2 Division for its efforts to improve security across Oyo State, especially the successful rescue of the Oriire kidnapping victims.
Adeniran also sought the division’s assistance for the chapel’s upcoming Press Week, particularly with lectures and health outreach programmes for members.