Oyo State Government has procured two Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to combat insecurity, including kidnapping and banditry, in the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that the aircraft, valued at ₦7,763,360,000, are equipped with sophisticated surveillance gadgets capable of identifying targets from high and low altitudes.
According to Prince Dotun Oyelade, Commissioner for Information, the aircraft will support Amotekun and other security agencies in flushing out bandits from their hideouts. “The procurement was approved in a renewed determination by the government to secure the state further from the influx of bandits and the perpetration of their enterprise,” Oyelade said.
The Commissioner explained that the preference for the DA 42 MNG model aircraft was due to their lower maintenance costs, accessibility of spare parts, and synergy with the Nigerian Air Force, which possesses similar aircraft.
Oyelade also highlighted the state’s security achievements, including the highest number of Amotekun staff (2,500), vehicles (181), and motorcycles (450) in the South West region. Amotekun operatives in Oyo State are also the highest paid, with the least paid earning ₦116,000.
In addition to the aircraft procurement, the State Executive Council approved several infrastructure projects, including the construction of bridges and interchanges, and the clearance of the North-East and South-West segments of the 110km Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road project, valued at ₦83,037,000,000. The government assured that 72km of the circular road would be completed by 2027.
