Oyo surveillance aircraft near deployment – Makinde

By Adejayan Gbenga

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has confirmed that surveillance aircraft procured by the state government are currently undergoing final assembly in Nigeria and are expected to become operational before the end of June, amid heightened security concerns following the Oriire school attack.

Makinde disclosed this while speaking on ongoing rescue efforts after gunmen attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting pupils, students and teachers, and killing one person during the incident.

The governor said the aircraft had arrived in the country and were being assembled at a Nigerian Air Force facility in Lagos by technicians from China.

He explained that the surveillance platforms were procured to strengthen security monitoring along border communities and forest corridors linking Oyo State with Kwara State and the Republic of Benin.

According to him, the aircraft are expected to become fully operational within weeks and will be deployed to support intelligence gathering and security operations across vulnerable areas of the state.

Makinde added that an operational centre had been established at the state Police Command Headquarters in Ibadan to coordinate intelligence and rescue efforts.

He also assured residents that the government remains committed to securing the release of abducted victims and restoring safety across the state, noting that security operations are ongoing.