By Hassan Zaggi
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has upgraded and relaunched the Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Database (NPC & IDB) Centre.
He has also ordered a full-scale upgrade of all Police Forensic Laboratories and Digital Resource Centres across the nation.
The NPC & IDB Centre will provide additional aid to police operatives in acquiring credible electronic criminal database to support investigations and strategic operational and tactical planning which would, in turn, facilitate easy identification of suspects, crime location, modus operandi, Global Positioning System (GPS) to geolocate crimes, amongst others.
Recall that Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Database was commissioned in year 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The upgrade of the facility is imperative in view of the sophistication of criminals, who now apply technology to perpetuate their nefarious activities.
The database, according to a statement signed by the Force Spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi (CSP), would provide baseline data using ICT and biometrics, stimulate digital crime-fighting techniques, and accessibility to a one-stop data bank for professional profiling of criminal elements and effective crime data management in the Force.
The IGP has, therefore, mandated the project consultant to fast track comprehensive training of dedicated police personnel who would man the systems across Zonal, State, and Divisional Headquarters for the collection, management, and uploading of biometric data, case files, investigation, and trial processes, to the central database at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
In a similar development, the IGP has ordered a full-scale upgrade of all Police Forensic laboratories and digital resource centres across the nation.
He equally tasked Forensic Unit officers of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) to effectively apply advanced knowledge acquired at various capacity-building workshops organized in collaboration with foreign agencies and other governmental bodies, ministries, departments and agencies of governments at all levels.
IGP Baba, however, emphasized that these developments were in line with his policing agenda to incorporate the application of cutting-edge technology and intelligence-led policing model to operational and investigation functions in consonance with international best practices.
He equally assured Nigerians of the commitment and dedication of his management team to bestow the nation with a people-oriented, endearing and professional police force.
