The Niger Government said it would collaborate with the Federal Government to deploy drones and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment to tackle insecurity in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Alhaji Ibrahim Matane, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

“In Niger State we are working with the federal government to deploy drones and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment to tackle the security challenges facing the state owing to our large landmass.

Matane also said that the state government was already working with the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Air Force and the local vigilance groups to secure the state.

“The State Government is spending huge sums of money to maintain the security agencies to carry out their duties,” he said.

“The major unsecured Local Government Areas we have in Niger State are: Rafi, Munya, Shiroro Mariga, Mashegu and Lapai,” he said.

He said that the local government areas were bordering Kaduna, Zamfara, Kogi and Kebbi states, adding that the suspected bandits were coming into the state from these neighboring states.

“Many of these suspected bandits cross over from the neighboring states to cause havoc in Niger State and go back to those states.

“Sometimes when they come to rustle cattle they also kidnap people,” he said.

“Recently, we traced 18,000 cattle rustled in Niger State to Zamfara State,” the SSG said.

He said that inadequate personnel and equipment had been a major setback in tackling the security challenges facing the country.

He,therefore, called for the recruitment of enough personnel into the security forces and provision of modern equipment and training for them.

Matane, then, urged residents of the state to always report any suspicious activities, movements and objects to the nearest security agency for proper action.