Enugu Unveils Security Drones To Combat Rising K!dnappings In Udenu Council Area
Enugu Unveils Security Drones To Combat Rising Kidnappings In Udenu Council Area
Government sources say the devices have begun patrols across border zones including Udenu, Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani and Isi-Uzo, areas that have witnessed repeated assaults by criminal gangs masquerading as bandits and armed herders.
The Enugu State Government has introduced security drones as part of a renewed push to confront the escalating wave of kidnappings and armed attacks in parts of the state, particularly Udenu Local Government Area (LGA).
The drones, which were unveiled at the state command and control centre inside the Government House, are reportedly equipped with long-range surveillance capabilities designed to identify criminal hideouts, track movement in dense forest corridors and support security agencies in real-time operations.
Government sources say the devices have begun patrols across border zones including Udenu, Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani and Isi-Uzo, areas that have witnessed repeated assaults by criminal gangs masquerading as bandits and armed herders.
enugu governor
The deployment of the drones which can be fitted with weapons, followed a recent spike in abductions in Udenu Local government area. In the latest incident, several residents were kidnapped around the Iyi-Nzu area of Ezimo, leaving the community terrified and prompting renewed appeals for decisive government intervention.
Villages such as Ezimo, Amaogbelle-Ulo, Obollo-Afor, Imilike and Umuosigide have endured sustained attacks in recent months, with families forced to pay ransoms and farmers abandoning farmlands due to fear of ambush. Community leaders say the situation has reached a breaking point.
peter mbah
“We can’t sleep anymore. Our people are being kidnapped on the roads and even near their homes,” a resident of Ezimo told SaharaReporters, describing the growing sense of helplessness.
SaharaReporters earlier on Monday reported that tension had gripped Ezimo community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, home of the state’s Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, after armed kidnappers unleashed violent attacks over the weekend, shooting several women and abducting multiple residents in separate incidents
The drones, which were unveiled at the state command and control centre inside the Government House, are reportedly equipped with long-range surveillance capabilities designed to identify criminal hideouts, track movement in dense forest corridors and support security agencies in real-time operations.
Government sources say the devices have begun patrols across border zones including Udenu, Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani and Isi-Uzo, areas that have witnessed repeated assaults by criminal gangs masquerading as bandits and armed herders.
enugu governor
The deployment of the drones which can be fitted with weapons, followed a recent spike in abductions in Udenu Local government area. In the latest incident, several residents were kidnapped around the Iyi-Nzu area of Ezimo, leaving the community terrified and prompting renewed appeals for decisive government intervention.
Villages such as Ezimo, Amaogbelle-Ulo, Obollo-Afor, Imilike and Umuosigide have endured sustained attacks in recent months, with families forced to pay ransoms and farmers abandoning farmlands due to fear of ambush. Community leaders say the situation has reached a breaking point.
peter mbah
“We can’t sleep anymore. Our people are being kidnapped on the roads and even near their homes,” a resident of Ezimo told SaharaReporters, describing the growing sense of helplessness.
SaharaReporters earlier on Monday reported that tension had gripped Ezimo community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, home of the state’s Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, after armed kidnappers unleashed violent attacks over the weekend, shooting several women and abducting multiple residents in separate incidents
The attacks, which occurred on Saturday and Sunday, also extended to the neighbouring community of Obollo-Eke, where residents returning from a marriage ceremony were ambushed and taken hostage.
peter mbah
SaharaReporters gathered that Saturday’s assault on Ezimo happened just a short distance from a military checkpoint along the Ikem–Obollo-Afor federal road.
Despite the proximity to security personnel, witnesses said the gunmen operated freely for hours, firing at vehicles and capturing victims before retreating through bush paths toward the Benue border.
Video clips obtained by SaharaReporters show injured women being rushed to hospital on stretchers, while vehicles riddled with bullets evidence the intensity of the attack.
A resident, Marcel Ossia, described the recurring violence as “a daily nightmare” that has failed to attract meaningful government or media attention.
peter mbah
On Monday morning, scores of Ezimo women marched through major roads in the community to the residence of the Deputy Governor, demanding urgent government action to halt the escalating violence.
Holding a peaceful demonstration, the women expressed anger and fear over what they described as relentless attacks targeting their communities, especially women traveling for social or family gatherings.
“Our Ezimo women have gathered peacefully in front of the Deputy Governor’s residence to express their deep pain and frustration,” a resident wrote in a message shared with SaharaReporters.
“Ezimo people are no longer safe. With recent kidnappings, shootings, and the fear that has overtaken our villages, the women are demanding urgent government intervention
He stressed that the demonstration was not confrontational but a desperate appeal for protection.
“This is a cry for help, a call for protection, and a reminder that our communities cannot continue to live in fear,” he added.
