There are strong indications that no fewer than nine states
will soon acquire remotely piloted aircraft (drones) and other devices
as part of measures to tackle kidnapping and killing in their states.
Investigations by The PUNCH on Saturday showed that the states included Ogun, Oyo, Ebonyi, Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Benue and Enugu.
Sunday
PUNCH had, on July 28, reported that efforts of some state governments
to obtain necessary safety and security clearances to acquire drones
were failing due to the strict conditions stipulated by the Federal
Government’s agencies responsible for granting the approval.
The
report listed some of the states that had made moves to deploy drones in
tackling bandits, kidnappers and killer herdsmen as Lagos, Osun, Ondo,
Kaduna and Anambra.
At a meeting with the South-West traditional
rulers at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, President Muhammadu
Buhari said he would direct relevant federal agencies to speedily
approve applications by states for drones.
Ogun, Oyo initiating process of applications
In
the light of the fresh President’s pledge, the Ogun State Government
told The PUNCH that it had begun the process to apply for drones to
fight herdsmen menace and other criminal activities in the state.
The
PUNCH learnt that the decision of the state government was based on the
relocation of killer herdsmen to areas of the state including the
Lagos-Ibadan road and the Sagamu-Ore Expressway.
Two weeks ago, a
son of the Chief Medical Director of the Lafia Hospital, Apata, Ibadan,
and two workers of the hospital were kidnapped at Ajebo, along the
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, on their way to Lagos.
It
was learnt that the victims, who were allegedly kidnapped by some Fulani
bandits, secured their release a few days later after paying about N50m
as ransom.
On Thursday night, five people, including a pastor of
the Redeemed Christian Church of God, were kidnapped around the Area
J3, Ogbere along the Benin-Ore-Sagamu Expressway. They have since regain
their freedom.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Ogun State
Governor, Kunle Somorin, told one of our correspondents that the state
was ready to acquire drones to tackle the menace of the killer herdsmen.
Somorin
said, “We have always stated that we will deploy technology in fighting
crimes and insecurity. Drones are consistent with how we plan to track,
pre-empt and prevent crimes and deviant social behaviours. The Federal
Government’s position is in tandem with our vision for drones.”
When
asked whether the state had sought the permission of the Federal
Government, Somorin stated, “Whatever means that is legal will be taken
to ensure the drones are acquired.”
On his part, the Special
Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Media, Jide Ajani, said his
principal had already said he would deploy technology in tackling
insecurity. He added that drones were one of such technological devices
to actualise the plan.
Ajani, in an interview with The PUNCH,
said, “The issue of drones is not new to us here. At one or two fora,
our governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, had hinted about deploying technology to
combat criminality in our state. Drones are included in the larger body
of technology that can be deployed in combating criminality.
“But
for the process and the complex nature of our country, where you have
security on the exclusive list, our governor would have set the ball
rolling. Most importantly, however, there is the urgent need for the
realisation that these episodic approaches to fighting crime are not
sustainable.
“What is sustainable is what we have been talking
about and which is dear to Governor Makinde and that is the issue of
true federalism. The issue of state police is very central.”
Ebonyi waiting for green light to apply for drones
Also,
the Ebonyi State Government said it would apply for licence to import
drones any time the Federal Government decided to issue such official
permit.
Emma Uzor, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor David
Umahi, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents in
Abakliki, the state capital.
He added that aside from the state
government’s willingness to join others to acquire drones, it had
commenced the installation of security cameras and closed-circuit
televisions at strategic entry and exit points within the state to check
the influx of foreigners, especially illegal herdsmen.
“We will
import drones as soon as the Federal Government decides to issue the
licence for them in the country. This will help in Abakaliki and curb
insecurity in the state.
“Outside the planned importation of
drones, the state government is mounting CCTVs in strategic entry and
exit points within the state to check foreigners and herdsmen,” Uzor
added.
Benue to apply for drone licence
Also, the
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, expressed the plan of the state to
acquire drones anytime the Federal Government decided to give the
go-ahead for the licence.
Ortom, who disclosed this through his
Special Adviser, Col. Paul Hemba (retd.), described the decision of the
Federal Government to allow the appropriate agencies to issue the drone
licence as a welcome development.
“The state will surely apply for the drone licence anytime the Federal Government approves the issuance of the licence.
“Although
I have not heard nor read the Federal Government’s decision to issue
the drone licence, Benue will surely apply,” he added.
We’ll look at the possibility, says Ekiti
On
the state’s plan for the proposed drone initiative, the Special Adviser
on Security Matters to the Ekiti State Governor, Brig. Gen. Ebenezar
Ogundana (retd.), said the state would look at such possibility after
due consideration of the cost and the benefits.
Ogundana, who
explained that although drones owned by the military were catering to
the strategic needs of Ondo and Ekiti states, stated that the drone
licence initiative was just emerging.
He said, “We would sit down
and actually analyse the situation, the cost implication, the
advantages and disadvantages, we will now decide whether we are going to
key into that arrangement.”
Enugu to deploy aerial surveillance
On
his part, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe,
said aerial surveillance would be used to monitor forests in the state.
The
police commissioner said this on Friday after a security meeting
following the killing of a Catholic priest in the state by suspected
herdsmen.
The state police boss, who read the resolution of the
meeting, said, “The state government also resolved to have aerial
surveillance in all the forests that these dastardly incidents are
taking place.”
When contacted on the matter, Kaduna State, one of
the states which The PUNCH had reported had applied for licence for a
drone, declined to comment.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, described the enquiry as a security matter.
“What
you are asking is clearly undermining and compromising security of our
citizens and we cannot compromise their security on the pages of
newspapers. No comment,” Aruwan stated in his response.
Anambra discontinues use of drone
But
the Anambra State Government said it had discontinued the use of drones
for the surveillance of criminals. It explained that in place of
drones, the state occasionally hired police helicopter for aerial battle
against criminals.
Speaking with The PUNCH on the telephone on
Friday, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment,
C-Don Adinuba, explained why the state discontinued the idea of using
drones for security.
“One is the lifespan of the battery and the image generated by the device,” he said.
The
Ondo State Government, through the Commissioner for Information, Mr
Donald Ojogo, said, “I’m not inclined to disclose whether or not the
Ondo State Government has applied, or will apply for such (drones).
“Like
the states of the South-West have always maintained, the menace of
insecurity has assumed such a frightening dimension that requires a
commensurate strategy to tackle.”
Banditry checked, no need for drones –Zamfara
Meanwhile,
Alhaji Abubakar Dauran, the Security Adviser to Governor Bello
Matawalle of Zamfara State, said the state, which had witnessed some of
the most deadly and persistent attacks in recent times, did not need
drones.
“The state does not need any drone at the moment
considering the fact that the activities of bandits are almost
controlled as a result of the peace accord between the government and
the bandits,” Dauran stated.
No security threat in A’Ibom, says commissioner
But
the Akwa Ibom State Government said there were no security threats in
the state. The state Commissioner for Information, Charles Udoh, said,
“I don’t like commenting on issues of insecurity; there is no insecurity
in Akwa Ibom. We are focused on development and how to ensure all
communities in the state get the basic necessities of life; that is the
plan of the government.”
The Permanent Secretary in charge of
security in the Cross River State Governor’s Office, Sir Alfred Mboto,
said, “Normally when you want to buy any security equipment, you have to
apply through the National Intelligence Agency. I don’t know whether
another agency will handle the application for drones. I will liaise
with the Chief Security Officer on the issue.”
South-East forest guards won’t carry arms – Umahi
Meanwhile,
the South-East Governors’ Forum said each state in the zone would form
its forest guards to ensure that criminals, who infiltrated into the
zone, were fished out.
The governors also disclosed that in the
planned security measure for the zone, the guards would not carry arms
but would work with security agencies to achieve the desired results for
which they were being set up.
The Ebonyi State Governor, David
Umahi, who is the chairman of the Forum, spoke through his Chief Press
Secretary, Emma Uzor, in an interview with one of our correspondents in
Abakaliki.
The CPS said, “They are not going to bear arms. They
are going to be pure civilians and they will be going into these forests
with security agents such as policemen, men of the Nigerian Army,
operatives of the Department of State Services and others who will
provide security cover for them while in the bush.
“Every state
will have its guards, but there is going to be a coordinating security
committee to be headquartered in Enugu, the capital of the defunct
Eastern Region.”
He noted that each state in the zone was
expected to gather intelligence and forward same to the committee in
Enugu, whose responsibility would be to process it and send to security
agencies for necessary action.
He further revealed that the
guards in collaboration with security agents would comb the forests in
their different states twice or thrice daily.
He said each state
in the South-East was at liberty to commence the exercise as soon as it
could, adding that arrangements were already ongoing to start enlisting
trusted Ebonyi youths into the planned programme.
According to
him, states in the geopolitical zone are embracing what the Federal
Government is doing by clearing 50 metres into bushes on major highways
to ensure there is no hiding place for criminals.
“The essence is
to checkmate the infiltration of foreigners who are not Nigerians that
illegally come into the country as herdsmen and others.
“Their
(forest guards) mode of operation involves traversing all the forests in
each state within the zone, twice or thrice daily, to fish out
criminals,” he added.
Tunji Bosun, Abiodun Nejo, Ademola
Babalola, Ada Wodu, Patrick Odey, Tony Okafor, Edward Nnachi, John
Charles, Raphael Ede and Godwin Isenyo
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