Senate recommends anti-drone systems to counter terrorism

Senate ad hoc committee on security has recommended the equipment of the Nigerian army with drones detection and incapacitating technology.

The committee, which presented its report at plenary yesterday, said the technology should be in the form of anti-drone systems, which could jam radio frequencies used to control drones, causing them to fall uncontrollably or even use laser beams to burn aerial drones.

At its sitting on January 29, 2020, the red chamber considered a motion by Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, on ‘Nigeria Security Challenges: Urgent Need to Restructure, Review and Reorganise the Current Security Architecture’.

It resolved, among others, to: constitute an ad-hoc committee to engage the security agencies and report to the Senate with two weeks deadline.

Abdullahi, who is also chairman of the committee, while presenting the report, said, “The army, as a matter of urgency, must acquire sophisticated UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) comprising conventional drones and fixed-wing long-endurance, which the insurgents are yet to get.”

Speaking against the background that the armed forces, with all the resources at their disposal, appear to have conceded defeat, he said, “This will provide instant intelligence and surveillance for attack and ambush strategy, while the fixed-wing high altitude can provide sustained pervasive and dedicated surveillance lasting 24 hours or more.”

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reassured Nigerians that the activities of the Boko Haram sect would soon be history.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen. John Enenche, during the maiden press briefing of the Directorate of Defence Media Operations, yesterday in Abuja, said it was not strategic and practical to say the exact time the war against insurgency would end in the country.

Enenche also noted that all information pertaining to military operations would now be channelled through the directorate.

According to him, the new outfit of the army is the latest strategic initiative of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), in line with military effort on media operations.

“Our channel of communicating the operational activities of the Nigerian military to the general public has been streamlined to one source, which is henceforth the Directorate of Defence Media Operations.

“This implies that the directorate is now the clearinghouse for all information relating to the operational activities of the Nigerian armed forces, which will provide authentic information on all issues bordering on military operations.”

The directorate, he added, is to disseminate information on multi-agency operations of which the Nigerian military is the lead.

“In clear terms, the Directorate of Defence Media Operations is responsible for press briefings, releases and other press activities on all military and armed forces of Nigeria-led multi-agency operations, for internal and international engagements.”

In his remarks, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, said the directorate was created out of the need to interface with the media and the general public on all military operations both internal and external.