The Oyo State Government has received the delivery of two surveillance aircraft, a year after Governor Seyi Makinde announced plans to acquire them as part of efforts to strengthen intelligence gathering and improve security across the state.
The aircraft arrived at the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan on Tuesday, where Governor Makinde said the acquisition aimed at complementing security personnel on the ground and improving the state’s ability to respond to security threats.
He said; “When we took the decision to purchase these surveillance aircraft, it was because of the sheer landmass and size of our state. We knew that we had to complement the boots on the ground.”
The Governor said the investment had become more significant following recent security challenges, including abduction incidents, adding that the decision to procure the aircraft had been made before those developments.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen. I’ve seen people criticise us and ask, ‘Where is the aircraft?’ But we planned for it so that we would be able to cover as much of the state’s landmass as possible within the shortest time,” he noted.
Governor Makinde said he was pleased that the aircraft had now been delivered and reiterated his administration’s commitment to taking decisions it believed were in the best interests of residents.
“I’m glad that now it’s here, and I believe we will always do what is right in the interest of our people. In an atmosphere of insecurity, you can hardly do anything. Now, our children are back, our teachers are back, and we’re moving on with our plans,” he said.
The Governor said the aircraft would become operational immediately under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Nigerian Air Force.
“We’re hitting the ground running. You can see the aircraft were flown by Air Force pilots. We have negotiated an MoU with the Nigerian Air Force, and we will be working together,” he said.
According to the state government, the aircraft will support aerial reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and coordinated security operations as part of wider efforts to tackle insecurity and protect lives and property.
