Niger Govt to collaborate with FG to deploy drones

The Niger Government said it would collaborate with the Federal Government to deploy drones and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment to tackle insecurity in the state. The Secretary to the State Governent(SSG),Alhaji Ibrahim Matane, disclosed this in an interview in Minna. He reiterated that Niger State 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 land mass.

Matane also said that the state government was already working with the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Air Force and the local vigilance groups to secure the state. He said the State Government is spending huge sums of money to maintain the security agencies to carry out their duties. He mentioned the major unsecured Local Government Areas they have in Niger State which are: Rafi, Munya, Shiroro Mariga, Mashegu and Lapai. He said that the local government areas were bordering Kaduna, Zamfara, Kogi and Kebbi states, adding that the suspected bandits were coming into the state from these neighboring states.

He said 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. The SSG said recently, they traced 18,000 cattle rustled in Niger State to Zamfara State. He said that inadequate personnel and equipment had been a major setback in tackling the security challenges facing the country. He, therefore, called for the recruitment of enough personnel into the security forces and provision of modern equipment and training for them. Matane, then, urged residents of the state to always report any suspicious activities, movements and objects to the nearest security agency for proper action.