Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, made startling revelations on Tuesday on the daunting challenges facing the Nigerian Army in its battle against the scourge of banditry and insurgency.
Speaking at the launch of the Kogi State Security Summit and Fundraising event at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, Governor Zulum disclosed that terrorists in the North East now use drones to locate locations of military equipment and their personnel.
He said: “Bandits and terrorists now deploy advanced drones and artificial intelligence tools on the battlefield to locate troops and military equipment.”
The Borno state governor maintained that there must be periodic upgrades of security equipment, intelligence, training and expertise, just as he called for collaborative action between citizens and government to surmount worsening insecurity.
Governor Zulum, who described Kogi as a strategic gateway between the North and South, urged his colleague, Governor Usman Ododo, to upgrade its security architecture to guarantee safety, economic growth, and prosperity.
“We need intelligence-driven networks and systems to fight insecurity, because when Kogi suffers, the nation also suffers.”
Giving his welcome address, Governor Ododo restated his stance not to negotiate with criminals.
“Rather than surrender to the antics of bandits and terrorists, the government will invest more in modern surveillance devices and increase support to security agencies to confront challenges head-on.”
The Kogi State Governor Security Summit, which has former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as chairman of the fundraising event, targets N500 billion to boost its security architecture, expand coverage, and re-equip agencies.
