The Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is currently testing a new drone fitted with an infrared camera which was designed to document evidence of vandalism in the nation’s pipeline networks.
“We must find new ways to fight vandalism ,” the NSCDC Commandant General Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu told newsmen in his office at National Headquarters Abuja. According to him, NSCDC took the bold step to be in line with the change crusade of Mr. President.
The new drone will utilise GPS to document the times and places where vandals are observed, making it easier to prosecute offenders.
Flying at an altitude of some 150 meters (492 feet), it will be able to keep watch for more than 80 minutes at a time, quietly whizzing through the sky at up to 54 kilometers (33 miles) per hour. It can also be put on autopilot function for stretches as long as 40 kilometers, the CG assured.
These capabilities will allow the corps to observe large areas in a short amount of time, Gana noted.
In 2014, Nigeria lost over 1.2 trillion naira to oil theft with the government often incurring heavy costs in a bid to repair vandalised pipelines. By the end of 2014, the country had recorded losses of 50,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil daily making the fight against vandalism more important than ever.
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