The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has questioned the whereabouts and functionality of the surveillance aircraft recently acquired by the state government following Sunday’s attack on an Operation Burst base along the Igbeti-Igboho Road.
The party said the attack, which lasted for more than an hour, raised questions about the deployment of the aircraft, particularly as the incident occurred in the same axis where the government reportedly said the security equipment had been deployed.
The suspected bandits reportedly attacked the Operation Burst base in Oorelope Local Government Area, carting away some items and setting fire to the security post and a vehicle.
No casualty was recorded in the attack.
Operation Burst is a joint security outfit comprising personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
In a statement yesterday, the APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, described the incident as a matter of concern and challenged Governor Seyi Makinde to explain the status of the surveillance aircraft.
Sadare said it was ironic that the attackers could operate for more than one hour in an area where the government had reportedly located the base station for the aircraft.
“Just yesterday, the security of the entire Pacesetter State was shaken to its roots when insurgents unleashed terror on the Operation Burst Base located along Igbeti-Igboho Road in Oorelope Local Government Area of the state.
“At the end of the over one-hour operation, the gunmen carted away some important items and set ablaze the security post and a vehicle. Thankfully, no casualty was recorded during the attack,” he said.
The opposition party recalled the state government’s announcement last month that it had received and deployed two aircraft for security surveillance.
According to Sadare, the prolonged attack should prompt the government to explain whether the aircraft were operational and being effectively deployed to monitor vulnerable areas.
“Since the day Governor Makinde celebrated the purported delivery of the two aircraft, nothing has either been heard or felt about their deployment to survey the airspace in the state,” he said.
He added: “Sadly, Igbeti, where the base station for the aircraft was reportedly situated, came under heavy attack for more than an hour and there was no surveillance aircraft to track the attackers and possibly repel them.
“Therefore, it is safe to say that the whole story about security surveillance aircraft is another question begging for answers.”
Sadare also criticised what he described as the huge resources committed to the acquisition of the surveillance aircraft, alleging that the reported N7.8 billion expenditure could have been deployed to other security technologies and facilities.
He further challenged Makinde to account for the increased revenue accruing to the state, rather than concentrating on criticism of the economic policies of the Federal Government.
“On many occasions, Governor Makinde has said that the removal of fuel subsidy and flotation of the naira by the Tinubu administration were designed to punish Nigerians and enrich the governors.
“Going by his claims, he has been enriched tremendously as a serving governor, but the fundamental question is what he has done to transform the life of the common man in Oyo State in the last seven years,” he said.
The APC spokesman alleged that the state government had failed to make adequate use of its resources to address pressing challenges facing residents.
“It is apparent that Governor Makinde has failed to utilise the humongous revenues to transform the state as he continues to waste taxpayers’ money on inanities and cosmetic projects,” Sadare alleged.
The party urged the state government to clarify the operational status of the surveillance aircraft and strengthen security measures in vulnerable communities across the state, particularly in the wake of the latest attack.
