By Michael Egbejule,
A geoscientist, Prof. Isaac Aigbedion, yesterday, urged the government to deploy geophysical technology towards tackling worsening insecurity in the country, saying it would assist the military and police to secure Nigeria’s borders.
He said conventional security methods had driven criminal groups, such as Boko Haram, to adopt measures to avoid detection.
Aigbedion made the recommendation while delivering the 96th Inaugural Lecture of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, titled: “Footprints of the Geoscientist: The Bedrock of Man’s Survivability in Nature’s Complex Treasure Trove”.
The professor of Exploration Geophysics said geophysics would aid the location of concealed weapons and arms, explosives and other devices, and generate forensic evidence that would be used to bring criminals to justice.
“The use of geosciences for national security is highly recommended to Nigeria’s government to combat crime all over the country. This is because geophysical satellite imagery, combined with geophysical information system (GIS), can be put to work to quickly identify and track criminals in Nigeria and across borders.
“Geosciences search techniques can complement traditional methodologies in the search for buried objects, including clandestine graves, weapons, hazardous waste and vehicles,” he said.