In a bid to enhance the nation’s security, the Minister of State for Defence, Muhammed Bello Matawalle, has presented two state-of-the-art unmanned water vessels to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The donation, made by Swift Ship Company in the USA to the Nigerian Government, is aimed at bolstering efforts to combat insecurity in the country’s waterways and nationwide.
According to a statement from Henshaw Ogubike, the Director of Press & Public Relations at the Ministry of Defence, the two unmanned ships, known as the S2 and S3 Swift Sea Stalkers, represent the latest technology to be deployed in addressing security challenges in regions such as the Niger Delta, Lake Chad, and other maritime areas.
Matawalle, who recently undertook a working visit to the USA, inspected various companies, including NEANY, Swift Ships, and OCR Global—a high-tech military hardware-producing company. The presentation of the unmanned vessels is a direct outcome of this visit, showcasing the minister’s commitment to exploring innovative technologies to enhance the efficiency of the Nigerian military in tackling contemporary security threats.
During the visit, Matawalle conveyed to President Tinubu that the tour was designed to promote cutting-edge technologies and establish partnerships with US companies for the local production of military hardware in collaboration with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). The minister emphasized that this partnership aligns with President Tinubu’s agenda of fostering peace and security in the nation.
Matawalle informed the President about the facilities he inspected in the US, which included a rapid deployment mobile RADAR system, an unmanned water vehicle, a drone ground control station, and a compact biometric search-scan system, among other advanced military and intelligence capabilities. He expressed confidence that these capabilities would significantly contribute to the ongoing efforts to combat insecurity in Nigeria.
