By Our Reporter
Abuja (Precise Post) – The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for Operations at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Abdulmajid Ali, has defended request that the police should have combat helicopters to enable the Force fight insecurity more effectively.
Ali, who disclosed this in Abuja, said these would help in fighting bandits and kidnappers around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as other parts of the country.
Recall that the IGP Adamu had in a meeting with House of Representatives requested for almost N1trillion to enable the Force procure equipments to carry out its operations across the country effectively.
Responding to a question on the spate of kidnappings and activities of bandits, especially on highways around Abuja, Ali said the criminals use guerrilla tactics.
The police chief said such tactics involved attacking and escaping immediately into the bush, hence the need for helicopters to improve response time to deal with the criminals.
He also said the police would need drones to fight insecurity.
“We introduced a lot of safer highway patrols. We have patrols. It is not possible for us to line up policemen from here (Abuja) to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. We have to use the normal process of patrolling. Their own tactics are the guerrilla tactics: attack and run into the bush.
“We are saying if we can have what we need, like having two or three helicopters, along that axis, we can take off and take them.
“When information gets to us that they have struck in so and so area, it is just to allow our helicopter, positioned in Lokoja, to take off. When it goes up, we identify where they are and continue to trail them,” he said.
The DIG explained that by the time the police get distress calls and head to the trouble area in a vehicle, the criminals may have escaped.
“The same thing happens with Kaduna-Abuja roads, if we can have the helicopters. We also need drones. A lot of things that would assist police are what we are asking for.
“We are not allowed to have combat helicopters from where the police can start shelling from the sky. We can train our pilots. If we have two or three of these, we can move in. Though we have gunboats on the seas, we need air support. Once we can have air support, we clear all these people from the bush,” he said. (Nation).
