A retired senior police officer has revealed that a real-time tracking technological platform, once instrumental in cracking criminal cases by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), ended up being misused by politicians to monitor their “enemies and mistresses.”
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The officer made this revelation while responding to questions about the breakdown of the system put in place to track kidnappers and intercept calls for prompt arrests and rescue of abducted victims.
In 2015, the Nigerian Police launched intelligence-led policing with the installation of a tracking device under the then-Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase. The IRT, an operational unit, worked in tandem with the device to monitor kidnappers’ movements, analyze call locations and patterns, and identify potential safe houses. This system led to several successful operations, including the arrest of five kidnappers involved in the abduction of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, in September 2015.
However, according to the retired officer, successive IGPs failed to prioritize the maintenance and upgrade of the tracking platform. “People in the National Assembly and Villa got hold of the platform and used it to track their enemies and mistresses,” he said, adding that the technical and operational units were compromised by politicians.
The officer further explained that the system required regular subscription payments and upgrades to remain functional. Due to non-payment of subscription fees for about three years and failure to engage the relevant company for necessary updates, the tracking device became non-functional, making it difficult for the police to track bandits, kidnappers, and other violent criminals.
Although the current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, has reactivated the tracking device, kidnappers continue to operate without being tracked in many parts of the country, despite the presence of similar devices under the DSS and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The revelations by the retired senior police officer raise concerns about the misuse of advanced surveillance technology and the need for stricter oversight and accountability in the use of such tools by law enforcement agencies.
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