Oyo State's Surveillance Aircraft Arriving by July End

Mr. Dotun Oyelade, the Oyo State Commissioner, confirmed that two surveillance aircraft, specifically DA-42 multi-engine intelligence surveillance reconnaissance aircraft, will arrive by the end of July.

The procurement cost for these aircraft is N7.7 billion. The state government aims to utilize these aircraft for intelligence and reconnaissance operations covering the Oyo-Kwara border and the Republic of Benin.

Oyelade explained that the delivery was delayed as the assembly of components from the Chinese manufacturer took longer than originally anticipated. He recalled a recent incident two months prior, which prompted the state government to issue a statement confirming the arrival of the aircraft at the Nigerian Air Force hangar in Ikeja, Lagos State.

The final decision on the operational use of the aircraft will depend on professional technical advice from the Chinese manufacturer, and they will not be handed over to the state government for operational use.