₦airaland Forum

It is understandable that there would be a news blackout as military and law enforcement agents intensify their search of the massive forest reserve in Oyo State where the kidnapped children are still being held nearly a week after their abduction from their school classrooms, but rumors filtering out of that remote rural area hint at an alarming reason for that news blackout that has nothing to do with routine operational secrecy.

Reports from reliable sources in the area of the kidnapping suggest that the combined forces of both military and civilian militias that quickly mobilized to rescue the children came within close enough proximity to the fleeing terrorists that the cries of the abducted children were clearly audible to the pursuers.

Encouraged by the closeness of their objective, the pursuing forces pressed forward but then suddenly found themselves in the kill zone of a skillfully prepared ambush that let to the infliction of massive casualties that included soldiers, police officers, and civilian vigilante men. The terrorists had evidently anticipated the forest paths that would be used by their pursuers, and had planted anti-personnel mines in large numbers, which caught the trackers by surprise.

If the unofficial reports filtering out of the area are to to be believed, there was a series of explosions that cut numerous members of the rescue team to pieces, causing the survivors to tactically retreat under sustained fire laid down by the terrorists, who had positioned a few of their numbers along those paths to engage the survivors of the anti-personnel mines in a deadly ambush attack. The exact number of those killed in action remains uncertain but the ferocity of the exchange was enough to terminate the initial ground pursuit that was hastily organized shortly after the abduction occurred.

From the description of that skirmish, it is patently clear that the terrorists showed evidence of possessing jungle warfare military training, which is an unforeseen factor that must now be taken into account over the course of the next few days as new approaches to executing this urgent and delicate rescue are devised by the military high command.

In addition to the low altitude manned helicopters that are patrolling the skies over that forest reserve that is now effectively surrounded, it is absolutely VITAL that unmanned drones with high-magnification thermal cameras should be deployed so that the location of the terrorists and their victims can be GPS-marked in real time, regardless of whether it is day or night, and regardless of whether the terrorists attempt to hide their victims under the canopy of trees in that forest.

Not long ago, the Oyo State Amotekun security outfit publicized their new VTOL drones that are no doubt equipped with thermal cameras having night vision capability, such that human body heat can be spotted even under forest canopies, by day or night. These drones MUST be deployed IMMEDIATLY as a supplementary surveillance platform that will greatly reduce the odds of any further ambushes being sprung as this perilous pursuit of the kidnap gang and their victims continues apace.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixVpZsaMWzk

Jakumo is a well known military/pro-govt mouthpiece. Your explanatiom makes no sense and thus comes across as propaganda.

CodeTemplar:
Jakumo is a well known military/pro-govt mouthpiece. Your explanatiom makes no sense and thus comes across as propaganda.

I am merely expressing my utter bafflement about the length of time it is taking to pinpoint the location of the kidnappers and their victims, bearing in mind the fact that drones capable of spotting people by day or night even if they are hidden under tree cover are readily available in Oyo State. If you take time to read what I have written, you will agree that the intent is NOT "propaganda", but is an urgent call for more effective use of aerial surveillance drones which are ALREADY in the possession of the military AND of the civilian Amotekun corps.

I own multiple hobby-grade drones whose capabilities are nowhere near the specifications of the drones that are already in possession of the government and Amotekun corps, but the knowledge I have gained over the years of operating drones is the reason I know how easily and quickly the kidnappers and their captives SHOULD have been located once the first distress call had been recorded.

Code Templar, I take exception to your opinion that this topic could be construed as "propaganda" when it is actually an expression of growing impatience over the slow pace at which drone surveillance is being utilized. It is a known fact that ARMED drones are already in the Nigerian police inventory, so it is tragic that foot patrols where sent into harm's way without the option of aerial location and attack being deployed as the first and primary response to this unfolding tragedy.

Jakumo:
I am merely expressing my utter bafflement about the length of time it is taking to pinpoint the location of the kidnappers and their victims, bearing in mind the fact that drones capable of spotting people by day or night even if they are hidden under tree cover are readily available in Oyo State. If you take time to read what I have written, you will agree that the intent is NOT "propaganda", but is an urgent call for more effective use of aerial surveillance drones which are ALREADY in the possession of the military AND of the civilian Amotekun corps.

I own multiple hobby-grade drones whose capabilities are nowhere near the specifications of the drones that are already in possession of the government and Amotekun corps, but the knowledge I have gained over the years of operating drones is the reason I know how easily and quickly the kidnappers and their captives SHOULD have been located once the first distress call had been recorded.

Code Templar, I take exception to your opinion that this topic could be construed as "propaganda" when it is actually an expression of growing impatience over the slow pace at which drone surveillance is being utilized. It is a known fact that ARMED drones are already in the Nigerian police inventory, so it is tragic that foot patrols where sent into harm's way without the option of aerial location and attack being deployed as the first and primary response to this unfolding tragedy.

In your first comment you were talking about mines and ambushes. I find those outrageous.
Even if 10,000 rescuers get killed, that's no excuse to not have them in sight as we speak.

Just say you are selling drones and stop all this conspiracy theories.....wr are talking human lives here and shouldn't be taken lightly.......just this afternoon I was stating to thise we were together how annoyed I am that 5 days now,security agencies haven't been able to tell us the exact location where the victims are,iys very appalling how our security operatives tend to be inefficient......we live in an info age and info is very critical, we are supposed to be getting real time briefing or live press conference on the activities of govt on rescuing these children.

The entire nation should be fixated on this kidnap incident,APC and oyo state govts can be wasting billions annually on airtime to air there purposeless party rallies and activities but cannot cover this matter so the whole world can know whats really going on.....its a shame and whats NTA and OSBC doing,its not like they have any important programming they air.

Lithiumite:
Just say you are selling drones and stop all this conspiracy theories.....wr are talking human lives here and shouldn't be taken lightly.......just this afternoon I was stating to thise we were together how annoyed I am that 5 days now,security agencies haven't been able to tell us the exact location where the victims are,iys very appalling how our security operatives tend to be inefficient......we live in an info age and info is very critical, we are supposed to be getting real time briefing or live press conference on the activities of govt on rescuing these children.

The entire nation should be fixated on this kidnap incident,APC and oyo state govts can be wasting billions annually on airtime to air there purposeless party rallies and activities but cannot cover this matter so the whole world can know whats really going on.....its a shame and whats NTA and OSBC doing,its not like they have any important programming they air.

My goodness, you are the second respondent to this topic that has completely misunderstood the points I have raised. No sir, I am most certainly NOT a drone seller. I mentioned my ownership of drones to establish the fact that I am more aware than most about the capabilities of drones, and their importance in surveilling dangerous situations BEFORE ground forces are deployed.

If the reports emanating from locals in the area where this tragedy is unfolding happen to be true, then sadly an unknown number of soldiers, police officers, and civilians are now DEAD because they were sent hastily in pursuit of the kidnappers BEFORE adequate drone surveillance of the entire area had been conducted in a process that would have taken minutes to accomplish.

I share your exasperation that five long days after those innocent children and their teachers were kidnapped, their current location remains a mystery despite the fact that highly capable drones at the disposal of the Oyo State Amotekun corps, and the military. The thrust of my opinion is that aerial surveillance with thermal cameras should have been conducted BEFORE ground forces were sent in pursuit. If that step had been taken, those soldiers and law enforcement officers would not have fallen victim of the ambush that reportedly claimed so many of them as they rushed forward blindly without the benefit of intelligence gathered from the eye in the sky.

I think the drones you are referring to are not operational yet. I heard on Arise TV today that the Governor said they will become certified for surveillance in June or so.
Its just that the Government/military that you support unapologetically are brazenly useless. I wonder what is the use of the few satellites we have in space, that is if they are still functional if we can't use them for the advancement of this country.
These terrorists are killing the citizens day in day out and posts on tiktok and telegram,yet they can't be traced.
Shame on all these schools routing courses in counterterrorism, cyber terrorism and the likes.
Lecturers wey be say na only to vomit from books, no practicability

Jakumo:
I am merely expressing my utter bafflement about the length of time it is taking to pinpoint the location of the kidnappers and their victims, bearing in mind the fact that drones capable of spotting people by day or night even if they are hidden under tree cover are readily available in Oyo State. If you take time to read what I have written, you will agree that the intent is NOT "propaganda", but is an urgent call for more effective use of aerial surveillance drones which are ALREADY in the possession of the military AND of the civilian Amotekun corps.

I own multiple hobby-grade drones whose capabilities are nowhere near the specifications of the drones that are already in possession of the government and Amotekun corps, but the knowledge I have gained over the years of operating drones is the reason I know how easily and quickly the kidnappers and their captives SHOULD have been located once the first distress call had been recorded.

Code Templar, I take exception to your opinion that this topic could be construed as "propaganda" when it is actually an expression of growing impatience over the slow pace at which drone surveillance is being utilized. It is a known fact that ARMED drones are already in the Nigerian police inventory, so it is tragic that foot patrols where sent into harm's way without the option of aerial location and attack being deployed as the first and primary response to this unfolding tragedy.

Sensiblerealist:
I think the drones you are referring to are not operational yet. I heard on Arise TV today that the Governor said they will become certified for surveillance in June or so.
Its just that the Government/military that you support unapologetically are brazenly useless. I wonder what is the use of the few satellites we have in space, that is if they are still functional if we can't use them for the advancement of this country.
These terrorists are killing the citizens day in day out and posts on tiktok and telegram,yet they can't be traced.
Shame on all these schools routing courses in counterterrorism, cyber terrorism and the likes.
Lecturers wey be say na only to vomit from books, no practicability

I am deeply saddened and disappointed that there has been no televised national address by our president at the very least, assuring the nation that all that can be done to bring back those children safely WILL be done, and publicly directing the military to deploy all relevant assets.

To remain dead silent in the wake of this horrific abduction and torture of school children is in my opinion an appalling dereliction of duty on the part of an elected national leader, that one can only hope will be addressed and corrected in the next few days.

Your mention that the drones acquired by the Oyo State government recently did NOT go into service immediately, because they await "certification" is just as disheartening to hear. Such equipment should have been deployed in 24 hours, while whatever paperwork deemed to be needed could have been processed in parallel without the need to ground the aircraft unnecessarily. That needless delay has now cost lives.

I think I misused the word 'certify'.
I meant to say they are still trying to put all components together and test run , before they become operational.

Jakumo:
I am deeply saddened and disappointed that there has been no televised national address by our president at the very least, assuring the nation that all that can be done to bring back those children safely WILL be done, and publicly directing the military to deploy all relevant assets.

To remain dead silent in the wake of this horrific abduction and torture of school children is in my opinion an appalling dereliction of duty on the part of an elected national leader, that one can only hope will be addressed and corrected in the next few days.

Your mention that the drones acquired by the Oyo State government recently did NOT go into service immediately, because they await "certification" is just as disheartening to hear. Such equipment should have been deployed in 24 hours, while whatever paperwork deemed to be needed could have been processed in parallel without the need to ground the aircraft unnecessarily. That needless delay has now cost lives.

Sensiblerealist:
I think I misused the word 'certify'.
I meant to say they are still trying to put all components together and test run , before they become operational.

Ok I understand. It still took way too long for that flight preparation process. A drone that expensive should have arrived ready to fly in 24 hours, if it was battery powered, and in 3 hours if it was powered by a petrol engine. Hopefully it is working as we speak to find those kids and their teachers.

Jakumo:
I am deeply saddened and disappointed that there has been no televised national address by our president at the very least, assuring the nation that all that can be done to bring back those children safely WILL be done, and publicly directing the military to deploy all relevant assets.

To remain dead silent in the wake of this horrific abduction and torture of school children is in my opinion an appalling dereliction of duty on the part of an elected national leader, that one can only hope will be addressed and corrected in the next few days.

Your mention that the drones acquired by the Oyo State government recently did NOT go into service immediately, because they await "certification" is just as disheartening to hear. Such equipment should have been deployed in 24 hours, while whatever paperwork deemed to be needed could have been processed in parallel without the need to ground the aircraft unnecessarily. That needless delay has now cost lives.

Saddened ke? Around 176 women and kids are still held captive in Kwara state after being kidnapped in February this year. Let him address that first before talking about what happened in Oyo state.
But then, Oga Jakumo, you are an adult. Let's not fool each other. These guys get covert and overt state backing. And because of that, things are going to get much worse real soon.

Jakumo:
Ok I understand. It still took way too long for that flight preparation process. A drone that expensive should have arrived ready to fly in 24 hours, if it was battery powered, and in 3 hours if it was powered by a petrol engine. Hopefully it is working as we speak to find those kids and their teachers.

Test run my sweet black a$$. This no be Predator or a Global Hawk. It is not stealthy, nor does it carry missiles or A-grade equipment. These are drones that any competent high school student in the US can build.
Assembling it here won't take more than 2 hours, and test-running the equipment won't take more than 3-4 hours.

GabrielYulaw:
Test run my sweet black a$$. This no be Predator or a Global Hawk. It is not stealthy, nor does it carry missiles or A-grade equipment. These are drones that any competent high school student in the US can build.
Assembling it here won't take more than 2 hours, and test-running the equipment won't take more than 3-4 hours.

There are ominous signs in the land, Gabriel. Nigeria would be unrecognizable to anyone who grew up there back in the day.