IRC operators and Channel operators are very different.
IRC servers have IRC operators. They are volunteers who make sure that the server remains connected to the network (They can split/reconnect leaf nodes and hubs to/from other servers based on pre-defined rules in the IRC daemon's configuration. This allows you to rebalance the network, and reconnect servers if a central hub goes down/becomes unresponsive). They are also in charge of "policing" the network, they have the ability to kill (ban) users who misbehave, re-assign control in channels which are "taken over", and so on.
I've never been on Anon's IRC network, but most IRC networks these days use a "network services" scheme to automate the policing of channels (e.g. ChanServ/NickServ on DALnet/Freenode/Other networks, X/W on Undernet. They are essentially sophisticated robots that have IRC-operator priviliges. They can make someone a channel moderator, automatically ban users by ip/hostname/etc, as well as numerous other functions... I believe EFnet is one of the few "major" networks that doesn't have a services scheme). In any case, a channel takeover, or what this wiki entry referrs to as internet relay chat takeover, can only happen temporarily. Most servers will reset the channel to pre-split conditions upon reconnection. Moreover, any IRCop can reset the channel's operators/moderators/numerous other settings.
The problem in this case was that an IRCop misbehaved, not a channel operator :)
(I grew up on IRC...can you tell? ;)
edit: I'm aware I'm not using proper terminology for most of these things; this is on purpose.
It's been many years since I was on IRC, but IIRC you couldn't use netsplits to get oper rights, just an @ for a channel takeover -- until services came back online and you got booted.
Man, netsplits and +++ATH0 CTCPs and really wicked channel bots ... those were rather a lot of fun. Almost 15 years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat_takeover