NB247
In the efforts to effectively check the activities of bandits and kidnappers, the Ondo State Government has acquired drones to be deployed during attacks.
The drones, numbering about 15, has the control centre in Akure the state capital.
Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, told News Bureau 247 in an interview that the effort will help in monitoring the vast Ondo forests, which has hitherto being difficult to police manually.
Ondo State has suffered recurring kidnappings carried out by suspected bandits using the vast forest as their cover.
The activities of marauding herdsmen driving their cattles across the forest to destroy farms had also raised security concerns across farming communities.
But Mr Ajanaku said with the deployment of drones and other machinery against the criminals, the state is set to witness a span of safety across the forest areas.
”The state governor is concerned about the security of lives and property of the residents,” he said.
”The problem of kidnapping is a serious concern and we are doing a lot about it.
”The state government has acquired about 15 drones to be deployed to cover the forest so that bandits and kidnappers will have no hiding place in the state.”
The commissioner also said the state government had acquired vehicles for the security agencies, namely Amotekun Corps, the Police and the Army equipped with communication gadgets to further boost patrols and quick responses to distress calls.
”We have deployed 500 personnel as Amotekun Rangers now stationed in all the forest zones to serve the purpose of keeping criminals out of the areas,” he said.
”These rangers are being paid special allowances for the task of staying put in the forest and keep watch against unwarranted attacks.”
The call for the purchase of drones was first suggested by former Commissioner of Police, Alfred Afolabi, who had lamented the inability of the security agencies to track the criminals in the difficult forest terrains.
Mr Afolabi, who was the immediate past Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, had stated he was making the proposals to the relevant authorities for consideration.
Mr Ajanaku however added that the construction of rural roads would ease the burden of policing the forest areas and give safety to the people in the agrarian communities.
