Governor Seyi Makinde has reinforced Oyo State’s security architecture with the deployment of two surveillance aircraft aimed at improving intelligence gathering and accelerating responses to criminal activities across the state.
Speaking while receiving the aircraft at the Ladoke Akintola International Airport, Ibadan, on Wednesday, the governor said the initiative forms part of the state’s long-term security strategy to tackle crime through enhanced aerial surveillance.
Makinde explained that the decision was informed by Oyo State’s expansive landmass, noting that security personnel on the ground require aerial support to effectively monitor remote and vulnerable areas.
He dismissed suggestions that the acquisition was prompted by the recent kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area, insisting that the plan had been in the works as part of broader efforts to strengthen security across the state.
According to the governor, the surveillance aircraft will enable security agencies to cover larger areas within a shorter period, improve intelligence gathering, and support faster operational responses to emerging security threats.
He added that the aircraft have been deployed for immediate use and were ferried to the state by pilots of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) under an existing Memorandum of Understanding between the Oyo State Government and the Nigerian Air Force for their operation.
