Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has approved IGP drone training for 300 Nigeria Police Force personnel across the six South-West states, according to a Force Headquarters letter dated 28 August 2026 and issued in Abuja.
The letter was signed by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Fayoad Adegoke Mustapha, psc, mnim, mni, of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, after a request from the Societal Concerns Organization, led by Ambassador Oluwayomi Oluwapelumi.
Also read: From “Egbon Tunji” to IGP: how Ago-Iwoye shaped Olatunji Disu
The approved syllabus covers unmanned aerial vehicle operations, drone surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Officers are expected to use those skills in crime prevention and situational awareness, provided flights stay inside Nigerian aviation and security rules.
The South-West intake follows an April 2026 course in Lagos, where the same organisation trained about 155 personnel.
News coverage at the time described that earlier class as more than 100 officers and said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority took part.
Ambassador Oluwayomi Oluwapelumi then called the work “a significant step towards modernizing security operations and equipping officers with the tools needed to respond effectively to contemporary threats.”
Alhaji Mohammed Sanni, director of monitoring and evaluation at Societal Concerns Organization, was named among those who helped carry the partnership to Force Headquarters.
The group has also pledged two surveillance drones and training for 60 Nigeria Forest Security Service officers, a separate gesture that showed the same interest in aerial tools beyond the police.
The approval lands while the Force is already recruiting into its Police Airwing drone section and speaking publicly about a small specialist UAV team and artificial intelligence for crime mapping.
That wider push gives the 300-officer plan a clearer home, though the letter itself does not list aircraft numbers, a start date or a budget.
Civil society-police training can fill a practical gap when commands lack spare instructors. It is not a substitute for regulation.
Drones used without proper clearance can endanger aircraft and the public, which is why the April sessions stressed lawful flying as well as cameras and maps.
Whether the new South-West cohort becomes a durable boost to intelligence-led patrols will depend on when classes begin, who pays, and whether officers keep flying after the certificates are issued.
Also read: From “Egbon Tunji” to IGP: how Ago-Iwoye shaped Olatunji Disu
For now, the documented fact is narrower and still useful: Force Headquarters has said yes to 300 more trained eyes in the air.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
