The Osun State government, on Wednesday, allayed fears of residents following the consistent movement of mini-aircraft specially designed for airborne geophysical survey in some parts of the state.
A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji, obtained in Osogbo, also doused possible fear that may accompany the perceived strange air surveillance.
The government urged citizens and residents in the state not to panic as their security and safety remain its topmost priority.
The statement said government was aware of the yellow-painted helicopter that has been flying around some parts of the state, adding that the exercise was designed for an airborne geophysical survey to determine accurate mineral locations in the selected areas with state-of-the-art aeromagnetic mechanisms.
The statement recalled that the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel had, a few days ago, through its Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification Project, announced its readiness to embark on a 16-week sensitization campaign in 19 states of the federation.
The affected states are Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, Cross-River, Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Taraba, Bauchi, Niger, Benue, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The government further disclosed that the exercise was being conducted across 112 Local Government Areas within the said 19 states, which had informed the need for the aircraft to fly at low altitudes.
It further read in part, “This exercise embarked upon by the Federal Government is designed to obtain airborne geophysical data which are essential documents of the National Geological Infrastructure, as they provide objective information on the spatial distribution of the geological information and tectonics.”
