The Nigerian Air Force has reportedly replaced its helicopter with military jets in Kwara state ahead of the elections.
File photo
The Nigerian Air Force has replaced the surveillance helicopter it used in Kwara State during the February 23 elections, Punch Metro reports.
NAF said a military jet had been deployed in the state for Saturday’s elections, stating that the jet had better surveillance capability than the helicopter.
At a press conference on Thursday, the Air Force Commander in the state, Air Commodore A. Adamu, said residents should not be afraid when they see the jet flying.
“It is basically for surveillance purposes and we are here to support the police,” he said, adding that the helicopter earlier used on February 23 had been redeployed to fight Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
Also speaking on the military jet deployment at the state police headquarters, the state Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the development was nothing that should cause panic among residents.
He said the NAF was mainly helping the police to provide adequate security during the elections.
On efforts made so far to ensure the success of the March 9 elections, Egbetokun said the police, as well as other security agencies, including the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, had deployed “adequate men”, who had been trained in elections security.
The police commissioner did not however disclose the number of security men deployed in the state, in spite of pressure to do so.