By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has been urged to adopt drone technology in the fight against bandits, kidnappers, and ritualists operating in forests and highways across the state.
The call was made by residents of Kogi East under the umbrella of the Igala Cultural and Development Association (ICDA) and the Ukomu Igala Organization (UIO) after an emergency meeting on Sunday.
In a joint statement signed by Elder David Abuka and Col. Tijani Musa (rtd), the groups commended the administration’s efforts in safeguarding lives and property but stressed that drone deployment had become necessary to give security agencies an edge.
They noted that other states had successfully used drones for aerial surveillance and ground operations, which exposed bandit camps and strengthened military action.
“Our community security efforts yielded little because we lack drones. With the governor’s intervention, this technology can help root criminals out of our forests,” the statement read.
Leaders of the Kogi East Neighborhood Watch (KENW) also appealed for government intervention through the deployment of drone-trained military personnel. They argued that the 12 Brigade troops would achieve more results if equipped with drone gadgets, especially in tracing kidnappers who often escape into the forests after highway attacks.
The groups further commended local security networks in Kogi East for supporting military troops at checkpoints and called for stronger synergy backed by modern technology.
