Molly Kilete, Abuja.
The Police Force headquarters in Abuja is to partner telecommunication companies in the country to establish a nationwide surveillance system to curb incidences of kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country.
The nationwide surveillance system involves the installations of cameras on telecoms masts in different parts of the country.
The police say installing the cameras on each telecom masts would go a long way to eliminate and reduce cases of kidnapping which has now reached an alarming and embarrassing stage.
Under the new arrangement, telecommunication companies are expected to provide two surveillance Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras each on all telecom masts in various parts of the country.
The camera which is said to be cost-effective, has a great outdoor performance and is currently being used in China and Dubai.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu made this known at a meeting with telecommunication stakeholders in Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Information and Communication Technology, DIG Godwin Nwobodo, the IGP, said that when fully installed, the cameras with their Internet Protocol (IP) address would be remotely connected to the nearest Divisional Police Stations, Area Commands, Command and Control centre or server room at the police headquarters, Abuja.
The IGP, while noting that the advent of Global System of Mobile (GSM), communication in Nigeria came with positive innovations and integrated the country into the globalised world, however, lamented its negative effects especially in the area of crime like armed robbery, transnational crimes, insurgency and kidnapping among others.
He said: “It is common knowledge that GSM communications enhance planning and coordination of these criminal activities. These crimes especially kidnapping have become so prevalent all over the country and has reached an alarmingly embarrassing level, necessitating urgent and drastic interventions.”
Adamu, who expressed the hope that the partnership would work, said: “The intervention from the NPF and sister security agencies will necessitate partnering telecommunications companies in deploying a nationwide surveillance system via the existing GSM cell site.
“This will entail the provision of two surveillance Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras each by the telecoms companies on all telecom masts across the country.
“The camera is cost effective and has a great outdoor performance and is currently used in China and Dubai.
“The cameras with their Internet Protocol (IP) address will, in turn, be remotely connected to the nearest Divisional Police Stations, Area Commands, Command and Control centre or server room at the police headquarters, Abuja.
“The telecoms operators are mandated to provide at least 200 sim cards per state to be used by the police body cam and vehicular system with an unlimited data plan to support the project as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.”
He appealed to the service providers to give it access to the short code or emergency number ‘199’ or ‘999’, saying: “Before now, the defunct NITEL provided short code emergency number 199 that is routed to all police control rooms nationwide but when NITEL stopped functioning, this service became unavailable to the force.
“I wish to urge all stakeholders in the telecommunication service providers to help the force in providing access to the short code or emergency number 199 or 999 that will be designated to the force to be routed to all our control rooms nationwide. This will help us in serving you better and discharge our statutory function to the nation.”
The force also urged the stakeholders to assist it in the establishment of an ICT Centre and e-library that will enhance it’s capability.
Earlier in his address, Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, while pledging his association support to the police, appealed to the IGP, to deploy policemen to protect its infrastructure and not to be involved in tampering or preventing access to telecom sites by operating staffs.
He also solicited the support of the IGP to arrest and persecute criminals who vandalise and close down their infrastructure.
He said: “The IG should direct all police commands to kindly and strictly enforce taxation demands pursuant to court orders only as it was done before and enforce the security of telecoms infrastructure in volatile areas.
“Telecoms infrastructure in police formations across the country should be free of charge as they also constitute and declare as security infrastructure.”