Five new drones set to improve response to crime in Nigeria
NIGERIA’S inspector-general of police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, says the police force has acquired five additional high-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to improve surveillance operations to checkmate criminal activities in Nigeria in line with his vision to boost technology-driven policing.
The police said it wanted to integrate the use of innovative technology and ultimately enhance its intelligence gathering and operational capabilities.
According to a statement released by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, acting force public relations officer, Abuja, the drones will assist the police in monitoring active crime scenes, in co-ordinating response operations, and provide aerial support to responding officers.
“The UAVs include an ALTI Transition, capable of covering up to 150km in a single flight with high endurance of up to 14 hours, and an Elistair Orion fixed-wing aircraft … with high endurance of up to 50 hours and other sensitive and forensic-based features.
“These UAVs will be remotely operated by police pilots from the police airwing, who have undergone specialised training from engineers of the Elistair company, who were flown in from France at the instance of the IGP for a week-long training schedule, and have acquired technical skills and requisite know-how in the operation and maintenance of the procured UAVs,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the IGP has directed the immediate, adequate, and strategic deployment of these drones to areas prone to high-security breaches, for monitoring and intelligence-gathering to tackle criminality headlong.
“The inspector-general of police has further reiterated the firm determination of the police leadership to continue to explore avenues to enhance police intelligence-gathering capabilities and engage the application of cutting-edge technology in the fight against crime and criminality while seeking full co-operation from members of the public on intelligence-gathering and vigilance,” the statement added.