TO boost security of lives and property in Enugu State, the state Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has inaugurated hi-tech security equipment and patrol vehicles procured by the Enugu State Security Trust Fund, ESSTF.

Items inaugurated were two state-of-the-art drones, 10 Hilux vehicles (4×4), 40 motorcycles, 400 bulletproof vests, and 400 bulletproof helmets.

Inaugurating the items at Government House, Enugu, yesterday, Mbah thanked the Trustees of ESSTF for their commitment to strengthening security in the state, saying that the items would complement the administration’s existing investments in security, including the state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre, AI-enabled surveillance cameras across the state, and over 150 Distress Response Squad vehicles fitted with AI-embedded cameras.

He observed that the administration’s achievements and humongous vision would have come to naught without the security of lives and property, but assured that his government would continue to cooperate with the President Bola Tinubu Administration, which, he said, was working tirelessly to make sure the country was safe and secure.

“The security challenges we are having are local, and at the state level, we must also play our own role to ensure our localities are safe. So, these items will be deployed to ensure Enugu State remains the safest state in this country.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of ESSTF, Ike Chioke, who was represented by a member of the ESSTF Board of Trustees, Nath Udeh, said there was no longer any hiding place for criminals, adding that the inaugurated items would boost the governor’s efforts to position Enugu as the safest state to live and invest in.

A trustee of ESSTF and the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt Rev. Onyekachi Onyia, justified the investment in security, highlighting the state’s strategic place in the security and stability of the entire South-East and the defunct Eastern Region.