2023: IGP trains pilots, aircraft maintenance officers for seamless aerial surveillance

*Holds colloquy with Police Mobile Force leadership, squadron commanders

By ABIRHIRE THOMAS

The Inspector General of Police in Nigeria, IGP Usman Alkali Baba is leaving no stone unturned regarding election security management ahead of 2023 general elections.

Part of this is ensuring concrete security arrangements for the nation, particularly as the elections approach, which informs the need for his approval of training of the first batch of Bell 412EP B1.3 Type-Training Course for Police Airwing Aircraft Maintenance Engineers.

According to Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a statement obtained by The DEFENDER on Sunday, the officers approved for the training comprise 17 officers, whose training is expected to improve the technical expertise of the Aircraft Maintenance Unit of the Police Airwing and prevent operational mishaps during aerial surveillance operations.

“Similarly, the IGP has approved the training of more Pilots on Cessna Citation, the training and maintenance of a fully operational Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) squad, training of more Engineers on both Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing, as well as training for other auxiliary aviation staff to streamline operational inadequacies, improve human resourcefulness and ensure enhanced operational efficiency and cohesive operations.

“The trainings, which were run simultaneously, in partnership with foreign experts, came to an end on Friday 30th October, 2023, with presentation of certificates of participation to the trainees by the Inspector-General of Police at the FHQ, Abuja.

“In the same vein, the IGP has recently met with the leadership of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Squadron Commanders at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he appraised the internal security situation of the country and unraveled the possible ways of positioning the Nigeria Police Force for effective service delivery through strategic restructuring.

“The IGP noted that the PMF, under his leadership and command would be adequately restructured, equipped, with effective trainings, to align with its age-long tradition of basic unit concept and unit deployment.

“The IGP reiterated the importance of proper election security management for the upcoming 2023 General Elections. He further challenged the Squadron Commanders to provide adequate security in their respective Areas of Responsibility, to support the conventional police not only during the general elections, but in ensuring and reassuring members of the public of their safety before, during, and after the elections.

“The Inspector-General of Police further asserted that the present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force will continually embark on training and retraining of its officers to reposition the Police and invariably improve the general security of Nigeria even as the NPF attains its primacy in maintenance of law and order,” the statement said.