The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, in November last year, launched the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Digital Item Registry, a lost and found database, developed in partnership with Primly Premium Solutions Limited, to assist the police in recording stolen/missing items in all Divisions. In this report, Chizoba Ogbeche, examines the implication of the registry on fighting.
It’s been argued that the advancement in technology has undoubtedly led to commensurate advancement in crime and ploy by criminals to evade consequences of their acts. This has laid extra burden on security and law enforcement agencies of staying ahead of the criminals and evolving pro-active means of preventing solving crimes.
The Digital Item Registry is one of such moves by theNigeria Police Force (NPF) to key into the emerging trend in crime fighting.
It is instructive to note that since the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force in 1930, Nigerians have had to physically visit Police Stations to report stolen or missing items, however, with the registry this could be done in the comfort of their homes.
Going with the trend
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on November 13, 2020, commissioned the Digital Item Registry, a Lost and Found Database, at Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Headquarters, Abuja.
The IGP, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Information and Communications Technology (DIG) Celestine Okoye, said the digital platform, which was developed in partnership with the Primly Premium Solutions (PPS), was to register ownership of items on the national database, protect against purchase of stolen items, and report lost items more quickly to the police.
“Theft of personal items has been on the increase in Nigeria which has necessitated the need for an intervention.
“While the police are able to recover some of these items, unfortunately, some remain unfound and subsequently sent to other countries and sold to unsuspecting buyers.
“The world is going digital and we are going with the trendy. Therefore, we have decided to undertake an intervention that will alleviate the rise of this menace significantly. This intervention will further help ensure the security of property.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Nigeria Police has gone into partnership with PPS to run a platform called Item Registry.
“PPS is a technological solution company that was established to provide modern solutions to everyday issues.”
DIG Okoye explained that Items Registry was an international platform where you can register all your items for easy identification and ownership.
“This platform is also accessed by the Nigeria Police for quality checks and monitoring. Your complaint comes directly to us and you are issued a police certificate of loss or police report immediately.
“We are very positive that this partnership will be helpful to us all. PPS has been vetted and we are certain of their authenticity, background and integrity,” he said.
Case for innovative solutions
Speaking on the registry, the PSS Managing Director, Dr Vincent Udenze, lauded the IGP for recognising the need to introduce innovative solutions to the Nigeria Police Force.
He described the event as a significant milestone in the fight against crime and insecurity in Nigeria.
According to him, “Item Registry is a unified database where Nigerians can register their valuable items with Unique Identification Numbers (UIN) and report directly to the police from the comfort of their homes. Phones: IMEI number, vehicles: chassis number, electronics like laptops using serial numbers and documents like international passports using document number.
“After registration, a Proof of Ownership Certificate is generated linking the Owner to the registered item. When registered items are stolen, owners can alert the public by changing the item status to stolen.
“Before buying second-hand items, Nigerians can search the platform to confirm the item has not been reported stolen.
“And most importantly using this platform, Nigerians can report directly to the police from the comfort of their homes.”
The innovators
Primly Premium Solutions is a technology company that specialises in solving societal problems through technology.
The increase in item theft in Nigeria necessitated the need to create solutions aimed at complicating the process of selling stolen items and providing Nigerians with a platform to declare ownership of their valuable items.
The partnership between PPS and the Nigerian Police is aimed at providing individuals and businesses with information that could protect them from buying stolen Items, protect vendors from the consequences of dealing with stolen items, and assist local police in finding and recovering lost i
Take off…
In preparation for the take off of the registry, PPS on Tuesday and Wednesday organised a two-day workshop for select officers from all Police Divisions in the Federal capital Territory (FCT).
The training was conducted by the General Manager of the Company, Ms Olutayo Falowo, at the Command Headquarters, in Garki, Abuja.
Addressing the participants, the general manager, who represented the PPS Managing Director, Dr Vincent Udenze, noted that: “The theft of valuables items and company assets such as phones, laptops and vehicles has continued to rise, with the probability of recovery often very low.”
She said, “The training was the first phase in the deployment of the Police Lost & Found Database and the Item Registry Platform.
“Both solutions are designed to combat the sale of stolen/missing items and protect Nigerians from buying stolen items.”
Lost & Found Database
Falowo, who explained that the Lost & Found Database, which is a digital solution designed by PPS for the Nigerian Police, said: “With this platform, when Nigerians visit Police Stations to report items stolen/missing, officers can now enter reports into an electronic database. Reports entered will be collated to a central database accessible from all divisions in the country.”
Item Registry
The Item Registry Platform, she said: “Is an international platform that enables individuals and corporate bodies to register their valuable items with unique identification numbers: phones, vehicles, laptops, documents, etc.
“Once registered, a proof of ownership certificate will be generated for the user. The platform aims to reduce item theft by keeping accurate records of item ownership.”
Item ownership
On item ownership, she said: “We all own valuable items but often have no way to prove they belong to us. With the Item Registry Platform Nigerians can declare ownership of their valuable items by registering them.
“Items can be registered using their unique identification numbers: Phones: IMEI number; vehicles: chassis number; electronics: serial number; documents: document number.
“Once registered, the unique identification number is linked to the registered owner’s identity. When registered items are stolen, the user can change the status of the item on the platform to stolen discouraging second-hand buyers.”
Transfer of ownership
According to the general manager, “The platform also enables individuals to legitimately transfer the ownership of an item to another individual.
“When you are giving your Phone, Car, or other valuable items with a unique identification number to a family member/friend or selling to an outsider, it is important you officially document the transfer using this feature.
“It serves as a digital signature, evidence that the item no longer belongs to you and protects you from the Risk of Ownership.
“Once ownership is transferred, all liability associated with the item is transferred to the new owner.
Businesses that focus on second hand items will benefit from this feature as it creates trust between the Business and their customers.”
Protection against buying stolen items
Speaking on yet another unique feature of the platform, she noted that: “The Item Registry platform allows Nigerians to search the platform before buying second-hand items. This is to confirm if the item has been reported stolen or missing to the Nigerian Police.
“By entering the IMEI, chassis, or serial number, in real-time Nigerians will be notified if the item has been reported stolen/missing to the Nigerian Police.
“This will ultimately discourage the sale of stolen items and enable Nigerians easily identify stolen products before purchase.
Reporting stolen/missing items
Using the Item Registry Platform, Nigerians can also report stolen/missing items directly to the Nigerian police from any internet-enabled device, she said.
“Since the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force in 1930, Nigerians have had to physically visit Police Stations to report stolen or missing items.
“With this innovation, Nigerians now have the choice of either visiting a Police Station to report or reporting from their phones on the Item Registry Platform. For every report, a Report My Loss Certificate is generated for the victim.
“This certificate serves as proof that the item is no longer in your custody and evidence that the loss has been reported to the police.”
Full deployment
The general manager explained further that to enable the police use the Lost and Found Database, PPS has supplied tablets to all divisions in the FCT.
“Once fully deployed in Abuja, the project would extend to all 36 states in the country. The tablets supplied will enable divisions in the FCT search, enter into & view stolen/missing items reports from the Lost & Found Database.
“It’s important, however, for Nigerians to register their valuable items on the Item Registry platform: www.itemregistry.com.ng before it is stolen.
“The registration provides the owner claim over the item if found by the police and also enables the police to easily identify the owners of recovered items.
“To help the police help you it is important you join the Item Ownership Database and register all valuable items you own with unique identification numbers.”
Fielding questions from journalists she said: “The training is basically to be able to educate the officers on how the platform works; how to enter reports, search for items, and how to generate reports at the end of the month.”
Also speaking to Blueprint Weekend, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Command, ASP Marian Yusuf, said the innovation and training was yet another proactive effort by the Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Ciroma, to prevent and fight crime within FCT and its environs.
She expressed optimism that residents would take advantage of the platform to register their personal belongings thereby protecting them against theft.
On his part, one of the participants, CSP Tino Dangana, said: “It’s clearly a paradigm shift. It’s a new way of doing things. Once the items are being registered it would discourage thieves and armed robbers from engaging in stealing.
“And you know that when these criminals steal certain things they will look for buyers but if the buyers are aware that items are being registered they will not be encouraged to buy such items. It is a good development.”
Similarly, another participant, CSP Lamido Alkali, expressed hope that Nigerians would key into the innovation.
He said, “It will actually go a long way in helping, especially the police to track items that are stolen or that go missing. It would also discourage thieves because if items are registered and they continue to steal and nobody is willing to buy it would actually result in a drop in incidents of theft.”
