Police personnel attached to Nsukka Police Division, on Saturday, nabbed a suspected spying drone pilot, Michael Ali, filming a cleric’s home in Alor Unor, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The suspect, from Aguibeje in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, upon interrogation, claimed that he was filming the cleric’s home for a documentary, adding that he was working on Nsukka landscape.
When asked why he chose to stay in the bush to control his drone, he explained to newsmen that he was learning how to fly it, adding that it was a mistake to have focused his equipment on the cleric’s home and church building.
However, the cleric and pastor of Highway to Grace Assembly, Reverend Chikammadu Eze, told NewsMen that he was shocked to see a drone flying around his compound and on top of his church building.
Gripped with fear, the cleric said he monitored the drone only to discover that the suspect, Ali, hid in a bush close to his house from where he controlled the drone.
He said that he alerted his household who joined him to ensure that the suspect did not escape until Police arrived the scene and arrested him, adding that he instructed his household not to brutalize him before the arrival of police personnel.
“Immediately I walked out of my bedroom, I was surprised to hear the sound of drone camera hovering around around my house and church building. I looked around and could not find the pilot.
“After some minutes, the operator started recalling the drone and I followed the direction only to see the operator (Ali) hiding in a nearby bush close to my church compound.
“That is how I caught the operator (Ali) and immediately called police from Nsukka Area Command,” he said.
The founder commended the police for their quick response as well as for arresting the suspect and taking him to their station
Eze vowed to sue Ali to court because he alleged the suspect had evil intention against his family and the church.
“If Ali has no evil intention as he is claiming now that he was doing video documentry, why didn’t he inform me before taking pictures of my church, family as well as my personal picture with his drone,” he queried.
