NSCDC Testing Drones To Fight Vandalism

In an effort to combat vandalism, the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is testing a new weapon: a drone outfitted with an infrared camera. It is designed to document evidence of vandalism.

In 2014 Nigeria lost over N1.2 trillion to oil theft. The government continues to incur heavy costs in a bid to repair vandalised pipelines and at the end of 2014, recorded losses of 50,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil daily but now NSCDC has found a new way to fight back

In the coming weeks, NSCDC will test the new technology to catch the perpetrators in action Gana said.

“We must find new ways to fight vandalism ,” the NSCDC Commandant General Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu told news men in his office at National Headquarters Abuja, he said NSCDC took this bold step to be in line with change crusade of Mr. President.

The new drone, outfitted with an infrared camera and the NSCDC’s logo, will use 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, NSCDC spokesman said.