Nigeria Police Introduces National Crime Database to End Missing Case Files

Nigeria Police Introduces National Crime Database to End Missing Case Files

 

 

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Thursday inaugurated a nationwide training for operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on the newly established Criminal Database System, describing it as the “nervous system of 21st-century policing in Nigeria.”

 

Speaking at the official opening in Abuja, Egbetokun said the initiative marked a shift from reactive policing to a proactive, intelligence-led approach grounded in data, predictive analysis, and global collaboration.

 

“This training is more than an exercise. It signals that the Nigeria Police Force has entered a new era. Without data, there is no memory. Without memory, there is no justice. But with data, there is no hiding place for criminals,” he said.

 

The IGP lamented that poor record-keeping, scattered files, and fragmented intelligence had long hindered effective policing, stalled prosecutions, and eroded public confidence.

 

“For too long, policing in Nigeria has been limited by weak records and fragmented intelligence. That era ends today,” he added.

 

According to Egbetokun, the database will ensure every arrest is recorded, every case documented, and every officer held accountable. “No case will vanish into forgotten files. No conviction will disappear into silence,” he stressed.

 

He also assured the public that complaints will now be properly captured, tracked, and resolved, noting that the success of the system relies on the diligence of officers handling it.

 

“Every case you enter, every record you preserve, every link you verify, strengthens justice. You are not merely handling files; you are safeguarding the future,” he said.

 

The IGP highlighted that the system aligns Nigeria with global policing standards and can integrate with international databases, including INTERPOL, the African Union Border Programme, and UNODC frameworks.

 

“When a trafficker is convicted in Nigeria, the world must know. When a weapon is seized at our borders, its trail must echo across continents,” Egbetokun said.

 

The reform was also dedicated to officers who died in the line of duty. “Too many officers have lost their lives in the fight against crime, their work buried in dusty files. This system ensures their sacrifices are not forgotten,” he noted.

 

He thanked President Bola Tinubu for his vision of a secure and digital Nigeria, as well as the Police Service Commission, the Ministry of Interior, and international partners for their support.

 

Concluding, Egbetokun urged officers to embrace discipline and patriotism, stressing that technology should be seen as a weapon in the fight against crime.

 

“Every keystroke is a strike against crime. Every record you preserve is a shield for justice. Every report you file is a testimony of accountability,” he said.