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The Nigeria Police authorities have acquired three high-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for improved armed surveillance operations to checkmate criminal activities.
According to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, “the newly acquired drones will surely assist the Police in monitoring active crime scenes, coordinating response operations, and providing armed aerial support to officers on reconnaissance operations.”
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The drones are already being utilised in strategic locations across Nigeria even as the security agency announced that three more UAVs of the same specifications are expected to be further deployed.
The IGP, in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, and available on its Twitter handle: @PoliceNG, disclosed that the acquisition is a further manifestation of its leadership’s “determination to integrate the use of innovative technology in the law enforcement duties of the Nigeria Police Force.”
The statement further reads: “The newly acquired drones will surely assist the Police in monitoring active crime scenes, coordinating response operations, and providing armed aerial support to officers on reconnaissance operations.
“The 3 newly acquired UAVs are rotary wing aircrafts capable of flying up to an altitude of 1000ft with high operational endurance and capacity of firing at acquired threats and targets from reasonable distances.
“The Nigeria Police Airwing has equally concluded trainings for the operators of the drones in partnership with foreign experts who have been consulted for trainings and maintenance of the drones.”
According to the IGP, the judicious use of the drones will assist in the clamp down on violent non-state actors and criminals in Nigeria. He said the police was now focused on exploring technology to fight crimes.
