30th March, 2022
The Nigeria Police Force has acquired five additional high-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba said the drones will improve surveillance operations to checkmate criminal activities in the country.
The acquisition is the manifestation of the IGP’s determination to integrate the use of innovative technology in the law enforcement duties of the Nigeria Police Force.
It will ultimately enhance its intelligence gathering and operational capabilities, said CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesman.
The drones will assist the Police in monitoring active crime scenes, coordinating response operations, and providing 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, capable of covering up to 92m altitude 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.
They have undergone specialized week-long training from engineers of the Elistair company, who were flown in from France at the instance of the IGP.
The IGP has however 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.