By Omeiza Ajayi
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said his Administration has secured a presidential approval to provide drones and other surveillance equipment to track kidnappers.
Wike who stated this in a television interview monitored in Abuja also recalled his earlier disclosure in a media chat that security agencies in the territory lack digital tracking tools.
He said; “It is unfortunate to say this, that mostly the security agencies, in particular I will say, the Police here, are not adequately equipped. In fact, you cannot believe that the Police Command of the FCT do not even have ordinary tracking device. Not only them, even the FCT Command of the Department of State Services do not even have.
“And the only one they have is at the headquarters. So, if there are things to do, they have to go to the headquarters, which is not supposed to be. Luckily, I told Mr President that look, we have to do something, and there must be the emergency procurement of these equipment.
“In fact, that is one of the approval Mr President gave to us that we said look, we are going to purchase our own drones to help in surveillance and in operations, particularly within these boundaries that the topography is so bad, is so hilly, and where you have the forests.
“We have made sure that it is provided for in the 2024 statutory budget. I briefed the National Assembly yesterday on this and they were highly elated”, he said.
According to him, the FCT Administration had consequently applied to the Bureau of Public Procurement BPP for emergency procurement but which was denied until the presidential intervention in January.(Vanguard)