By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) under his command will soon establish a full drone system to tackle the nation’s security challenges adequately.
Egbetokun made this disclosure on Monday, 3 June, 2024 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital while delivering the first distinguished Personality Lecture, organised by the TETFUND Centre of Excellence in Multidisciplinary Studies (TCEMS), University of Ibadan (UI).
The Police Chief, who said although the force already had a drone, added that it would now establish a full drone system to capture everywhere in Nigeria from its headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, the drone system will also help the police see criminals whenever they are committing crimes.
“The ungoverned spaces will soon become governed,” he said, adding that the force would establish a Special Intervention Squad (SIS) in all the states of the federation to tackle kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality in Nigeria.
He added that the deployment of the SIS in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had yielded results leading to the arrest of many kidnappers and bandits, including the recovery of weapons.
The IGP said the force had also established dedicated anti-kidnapping units across various states, focusing on intelligence gathering and rapid responses to kidnapped incidents.
The units, he said, had successfully conducted numerous rescue operations leading to the safe return of kidnapped victims and the arrest of perpetrators.
Egbetokun highlighted the shortage of manpower, inadequate equipment, public distrust and insufficient budgetary provisions as some of the challenges facing the force.
He, however, pledged the force’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of citizens.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of UI, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, commended the IGP for his visionary leadership in managing the nation’s security challenges.
Also, the acting Director of TCEMS, Dr Benjamin Aluko, said the lecture was organised to elicit constructive discussions that would reshape the country’s security situation.
Source: NAN
