We Will Deploy Drones To Tackle Worsening Insecurity – Niger State Govt

The Niger State Government said it is planning to deploy surveillance drones to tackle the worsening security situation in the state.

The Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen on Tuesday in Minna.

According to him, the state government is also collaborating with the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the air force and the local vigilante groups on strategies to address security challenges facing the state.

He said: “We are working with the federal government to deploy drones and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment to tackle the security challenges facing the state owing to our large landmass,”

“The state government is spending huge sums of money to maintain the security agencies to carry out their duties.

“The major unsecured local government areas we have in Niger state are Rafi, Munya, Shiroro Mariga, Mashegu and Lapai.

“Many of these suspected bandits cross over from the neighbouring states to cause havoc in Niger state and go back to those states.

“Sometimes, when they come to rustle cattle, they also kidnap people. Recently, we traced 18,000 cattle rustled in Niger state to Zamfara state.”

According to him, border routes linking the state to Kaduna, Zamfara, Kogi and Kebbi are used by suspected bandits to attack communities in Niger.

Matane called on the Federal Government to deploy more security personnel and equipment to the state while urging residents to be vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.

reporte on Tuesday that armed bandits sacked several communities in Munya Local Government Area of the state.

About 500 communities in Shiroro local government are also in control of Boko Haram insurgents, according to Suleiman Chukuba, chairman of the LGA.