A law scholar at Salem University, Lokoja, Dr. Sunday Jossy Adejemiluwa, has called for the development of legal frameworks to regulate the use of drone technology and other emerging tools in modern warfare.
Adejemiluwa made the call after successfully defending his Ph.D thesis at the Faculty of Law of Salem University on Wednesday.
The researcher said his study found significant gaps in existing legal provisions governing the use of drones in armed conflicts, despite the growing adoption of the technology across the world.
According to him, modern warfare is increasingly relying on unmanned systems, yet many legal frameworks were developed before the emergence of such technologies.
“Modern warfare now requires the use of unmanned drone technology, but in Nigeria, as in other parts of the world, the existing legal framework for warfare never made provision for the use of drone technology,” he said.
He noted that the absence of clear regulations could create challenges relating to accountability and human rights protection during armed conflicts.
“There is need at the international level for laws to be made so as to avoid human rights abuses that come with the usage of modern warfare like drones and robotics,” he added.
Adejemiluwa, who became the first Ph.D graduate of the Faculty of Law at Salem University, said his research was aimed at drawing attention to the legal gaps and encouraging policymakers, governments and international organisations to address them.
His thesis was titled, “Human Rights Protection in Armed Conflicts: An Assessment of Contemporary Legal Issues in Modern Warfare.”
Speaking on the significance of the study, one of the thesis supervisors and pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Joshua Igono, described the research as an important contribution to legal scholarship.
“The student has taken the pain and gone through rigorous processes to research this new area of modern warfare,” he said.
“The study has opened our eyes to see the gap and the need to establish the legal framework.”
The Internal Examiner, Prof. Daniel F. Atidoga, and the External Examiner, Prof. Enemaku Obaje, also commended the work, noting that while traditional warfare is governed by established legal provisions, emerging technologies such as drones require updated regulations.
They warned that the increasing use of drone technology in military operations could lead to human rights concerns if not guided by appropriate laws and oversight mechanisms.
The successful defence concluded with the formal award of a Ph.D in Public Law to Adejemiluwa by Salem University.
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