The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, which recently acquired a new equipment to combat oil pipeline vandalism in the country, has begun the testing of the gadget, a drone outfitted with an infrared camera and the Corps’ logo.
The drone is designed to GPS to document evidence of vandalism and then used to bring those involved to book.
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 kilometres (33 miles) per hour. It can also be put on autopilot function for stretches as long as 40 kilometres.
These capabilities will allow the corps to observe large areas in a short amount of time.
In 2014 Nigeria lost over N1.2 trillion to oil theft and at the end of 2014, about 50,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil was loss daily and this has continued to give the government sleepless nights.
In the coming weeks, the NSCDC will test the new technology to catch the perpetrators in action, the NSCDC Commandant General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu told news men in his office at National Headquarters in Abuja.
“We must find new ways to fight vandalism,” the NSCDC boss stressed, adding that the Corps took this bold step to be in line with change crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari.
NSCDC Tests Drone To Fight Vandalism http://t.co/c5jbwMJeix