Oyo Security Crisis: When Fear Of EFCC Trumps Real Security Planning | By David Oluokun

•Why Drones Are Faster, Cheaper and Smarter Than Makinde’s Hurried Aircraft Purchase.

Oyo State is bleeding. Kidnappings in Igangan, farmer-herder clashes in Ibarapa, cult clashes in Ibadan, armed robbery in Ogbomoso. The people are crying out.

Instead of a proper security architecture, what did we get? A hurried, last-minute purchase/arrangement of a surveillance aircraft.

The Hurry: Why Now? Why This Way?

The timing tells the whole story.

After years of rising insecurity, and public outcry since early last year when the Governor with his usual camera optics that he has purchased #7.7B surveillance aircraft the announcement came suddenly. Not after a security summit. Not after consulting all stakeholders. Not after reviewing what actually works in 2026.

Sources within the government say the rush was not driven by data. It was driven by fear — fear of EFCC queries, fear of public outcry, fear of being exposed as doing nothing.

So instead of building systems, we got optics.

An aircraft that costs billions, takes months to deploy, needs pilots, hangars, and fuel… when technology has moved on.

Drones Are Faster, Cheaper, And Smarter
Let’s be honest: In 2026, drones beat manned surveillance aircraft for internal security.

Here’s why:

1. Speed of Deployment: A drone can be in the air over Saki or Igangan in 20 minutes. An aircraft needs clearance, crew, and runway.
   Cost: One aircraft = hundreds of drones + training + command centers + 24/7 monitoring.
   Coverage: You need 50 drones to watch 33 LGAs in real time. One aircraft can only be in one place at a time.
   Data: Modern drones feed live video, heat signatures, and AI tracking directly to Amotekun and police control rooms.
   States that are serious about security are using drone swarms, CCTVs, and intelligence networks.
   Oyo is buying 20th century solutions for 21st century problems.

The question Oyo people are asking: Was this purchase for security, or was it for headlines?

OYO’S REAL PROBLEM: A BROKEN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE

Aircraft will not solve this. What Oyo needs is a drastic overhaul, not political rhetoric.

What is broken:

1. No Intelligence Fusion: Police, DSS, Amotekun, Vigilante, and traditional rulers are not talking to each other in real time.
2. No Community Policing: Local intelligence has dried up because people don’t trust the system.
3. No Tech Backbone: Most LGAs don’t even have a functional security control room or drone unit.
4. Politics Over Professionalism: Appointments based on loyalty, not competence.

You cannot destroy insecurity with one aircraft. You dismantle it with networks, data, and trust.

What Should Have Been Done
If the Governor was serious, he would have:

1. Invested in Drones + Command Centers in all 5 zones. ₦1B can buy 200+ tactical drones.
2. Strengthen Amotekun with better pay, vehicles, communication gadgets, and legal backing.
3. Create a State Security Data Center linking all agencies.
4. Engage Traditional Rulers + CDAs as the first line of intelligence.

That is architecture. That is planning. That is leadership.

SECURITY IS NOT FOR GRANDSTANDING:
Governor Makinde, Oyo people are not asking for press releases. We are asking for safety.

A hurried aircraft purchase to “look busy” will not stop kidnappers or Bandits
What will stop them is a complete overhaul of our security architecture — intelligence-driven, technology-led, and community-owned.

Stop the rhetoric. Drop the optics.
Oyo deserves drones, data, and decisive action — not panic buying.

Oyo Lives Matter. Secure Oyo Now.