Political economist Pat Utomi has called for the deployment of drones to monitor Nigeria’s highways
He described aerial surveillance as a practical solution to the country’s worsening insecurity.
In an interview with journalists on Sunday, Utomi urged state governors to collaborate on coordinated monitoring.
He stressed that protecting highways should be a straightforward task if given priority.
He criticised what he termed Nigeria’s poor attitude toward tackling insecurity, questioning why securing major roads remains difficult despite their limited number.
“There should be aerial surveillance, drones over those roads. Looking at the edges of the roads, whoever is inside the bush will be seen long before they attempt an attack,” he explained.
Utomi dismissed the reliance on static checkpoints, arguing instead for mobile and proactive policing. He proposed “rolling roadblocks.” This entails patrol teams of two or three police vehicles moving in coordinated sweeps as a more effective deterrent.
He added that such roving patrols, for example along the Benin–Ore highway, would establish a continuous security presence and discourage criminal activity.
