Oyo APC demands answers after bandits attack operation burst base

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has questioned the effectiveness of the state government’s security surveillance aircraft following an attack by suspected bandits on an Operation Burst base along the Igbeti–Igboho road.

The APC raised the concerns in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Sadare, on Monday, following the reported attack in Olorunsogo Local Government Area.

Suspected bandits reportedly invaded the security base in the early hours of Sunday and allegedly carted away items, including a generator and a motorcycle.

The opposition party said the incident had renewed concerns about the state’s security architecture and the functionality of the multi-billion-naira surveillance aircraft acquired by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde.

According to the APC, the attack occurred in an area where the surveillance aircraft were reportedly expected to operate, yet there was no apparent aerial intervention to detect or track the attackers.

“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,” Sadare said.

He added that the attack on the Operation Burst base lasted for more than an hour without any reported aerial surveillance to track the attackers.

The APC subsequently questioned whether the aircraft were operational and being deployed as intended.

“Therefore, it is safe to say that the whole story about security surveillance aircraft is another scam,” the party spokesman alleged.

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The APC also used the opportunity to criticise Makinde’s repeated opposition to some of the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu, describing the governor’s position as evidence of what it called inadequate understanding of economic management.

The party, however, offered no independent evidence in the statement to substantiate its allegation that the surveillance aircraft were not operational.

Security analysts say the incident should prompt a comprehensive assessment of the state’s surveillance and rapid-response capabilities rather than an immediate conclusion about the effectiveness or otherwise of the aircraft.

A security expert noted that aerial surveillance can provide valuable intelligence, but it cannot independently prevent attacks without functioning communication networks, trained personnel, rapid-response units and effective coordination between intelligence and ground forces.

“Surveillance is only one component of a security architecture. The real test is whether intelligence gathered from the air is transmitted quickly to personnel capable of responding on the ground,” the expert said.

Another analyst stressed the importance of determining whether the aircraft were available, operational and deployed at the time of the attack before drawing conclusions about their effectiveness.

“The relevant questions are whether the aircraft were serviceable, whether they were deployed within the affected area, whether the operation had actionable intelligence and how quickly ground forces could respond,” the analyst said.