Joseph Bakare
The Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, has highlighted the importance of identity tracking, saying it is one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of the country that can monitor and verify individuals and reduce opportunities for crime.
She stated this during the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) National Security Conference/ Awards 2024 With a theme: “Connecting the Dot Between Identity Tracking and National Security” at the Ballroom Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos State, on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
The Minister noted that in the present digital age, criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in organized crime or cyber threats, and rely on false identities to operate undetected.
She added that by leveraging identity tracking systems, particularly digital identity systems, security agencies can better monitor and verify individuals, reducing the anonymity that these criminals depend on.
Imaan opined that the mission of the Ministry is to prioritize the integration of cutting-edge identity technologies into our policing systems and the National Data Fusion Center which is now functioning, will serve as a centralized hub for integrating and analyzing identity data from multiple sources, and will significantly enhance our capability to track and neutralize threats.
In her words, “Our vision is ambitious but clear: to create a world-class Nigeria Police Force that is inclusive, community-based, intelligence-led, and technologically advanced—fit for the 21st century. We aim to excel in maintaining public safety, upholding the rule of law, and fostering community trust through transparency and accountability”.
The Minister stated that extensive consultations with stakeholders at local, national, and international levels, led to the creation of the Renewed Hope Police Reform Roadmap built on six foundational pillars designed to strengthen and redefine the NPF’s operational capacity.
According to her, “ The first pillar of our reform roadmap is Technical and Operational Excellence, which focuses on harnessing technology to elevate the capabilities of our personnel. We are also enhancing sectoral policing capabilities, including air, marine, and transport policing. Other pillars include Infrastructure Advancement, Welfare Enhancement, Policy Framework Development, Community Policing, Rebranding, and Strategic Communication. These pillars provide the strategic direction necessary to achieve the President’s vision for a secure and prosperous Nigeria, and we are already making significant strides in implementing key interventions”.
Imaan revealed a recent effort to significantly enhance the capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) which has led to the resolution of major cases, including the arrest of suspects involved in a 16-billion-naira financial crime against a major financial service provider, amongst several others.
She recalled the Nigeria Police Force Green Initiative was recently launched, with an implementation phase that includes solar power installations at 5,000 police locations, deployment of 840, electric vehicles and 605 gas-powered vehicles, the establishment of 14 electric vehicle charging stations, and installation of 38 gas refill stations.
The Representative of the Inspector General Police AIG Zone 2, AIG Adegoke Fayoade stated that the Nigeria Police plays a crucial role in identity tracking landscape in the country noting that one of the key responsibilities of NPF is to identify verification scenes during criminal investigation and security checks by utilizing data from NIN, BVN, SIM Card to track suspect and prevent identity fraud and cyber security threat.
He expresses the challenges of identity tracking systems such as data privacy concerns, coordination, and integration among various agencies, data collection, and working in silos making it difficult for security agencies to access and use data across platforms making it difficult to track suspects and making it easier for criminals to explore in the system.