The Nigeria Police Force has said the aerial surveillance launched to effectively curb the rate of crime in some parts of the country is ongoing.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu ordered the deployment of aerial surveillance helicopters in major cities in the South-West and North-West.
The announcement of the deployment contained in a statement in Abuja last week by the Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba stated that the Police Air Wing Operational Base in Abuja would cater for Abuja-Kaduna highways and the neighbouring states in the North-West and North-Central.
The new base in Ondo State, according to the statement, is also to cater for the neighbouring states and highways straddling the South-West.
Speaking with newsmen on the extent to which the deployment had gone, Mba said: “The aerial surveillance as announced by the Force headquarters is ongoing.”
Mba however kept mum on the number of helicopters so far deployed.
A Police source, who spoke on the deployment, told The Nation that the Police leadership might not comment much on the deployment to avoid sabotage.
He said: “It is a security operation. The only reason why I think a statement was put out to announce it was to avoid a situation where citizens would think something terrible is happening. The Police wanted to avoid scenarios where people would be thinking and raising false alarm that the helicopters are going round to drop weapons for bandits or kidnappers.
“So the statement by the force headquarters was to inform citizens of police upcoming activity and to avoid cases of panic.