Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has called on governments at all levels, in collaboration with the private sector, to procure high-resolution drone surveillance systems for police commands in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This, he said, would enable the Force to gather intelligence and stay ahead of criminals such as bandits, kidnappers, illegal miners, terrorists, and anarchists across the country.

The former governor of Yobe state stressed that the Force still requires additional investment in technology, logistics, welfare, and equipment to improve policing nationwide.

The minister also revealed that the federal government cannot shoulder this responsibility alone, emphasising that it must be a collective effort by both the private and public sectors to achieve the level of policing Nigeria desperately needs.

Gaidam made this call in Abuja during the official unveiling of a book titled: Articles on Policy Dissemination: Navigating the Management Decision on Issues, authored by a Deputy Director in the Ministry, Bolaji Oladimeji Kazeem.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ogbonnaya Nlia, the minister said the ministry remains committed to implementing sustainable policies and programmes that will reform, re-equip, retrain, and motivate officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.

The minister applauded Kazeem for his remarkable work and encouraged all stakeholders to continue supporting the Nigeria Police Force in the collective pursuit of a secure and prosperous nation.

Our efforts aim to ensure professionalism, operational capability, and adherence to the rule of law, ultimately contributing to a safer and stronger Nigeria. The ongoing reforms have begun yielding results. 

One of the components of Police Specialised Services, namely the Police Character Certificate (PCC), which was automated through independent online validation of PCCs by embassies and consulates on the POSSAP portal, has received commendation from the international community for its role in fraud prevention.

Key initiatives such as the National Criminal Data Fusion Centre, the Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Database, community policing, the transparent recruitment of an additional 30,000 police officers, and smart digital police stations are already delivering positive outcomes.

These efforts, coupled with international cooperation and inter-agency synergy, demonstrate our resolve to combat security threats and promote a people-centred security paradigm.

A major milestone in intelligence-led policing, the NCDFC provides a centralised platform for law-enforcement agencies to pool, analyse, and disseminate criminal dataenhancing internal operations and collaboration with international partners, he stated.

He noted that the upgraded Nigeria Police Crime and Incident Database Centre (NPCIDB) has enabled the police to document criminals data through biometric records collected from Divisional Police Stations across the country, which are digitally forwarded to the NPCIDB located within the National Criminal Data Fusion Centre.

Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, AIG Victor Olaiya, commended the author for his remarkable contribution to policy development and administrative excellence.

He said: At a time when clarity in communication, precision in policy direction, and sound decision-making play pivotal roles in national governance, this publication arrives as both timely and impactful. It offers valuable insights that will undoubtedly benefit policy practitioners, public administrators, institutions, and stakeholders across multiple sectors.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the author, Kazeem, said his main goal in writing the book was to create awareness and showcase government activities, reinforcing the potential contribution of the information cadre to national development.

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