FG launches mobile app for sending crime alerts to security agencies

The federal government has launched the Nigeria internal security and public safety alerts system (NISPSAS) mobile application for sending alerts to security agencies.

According to a statement on Thursday, Rauf Aregbesola, the minister of interior, inaugurated the app at the ministry’s headquarters.

The minister said many attacks would have been foiled if the security agencies had been notified in real time, adding that this prompted the development of a platform that the public can use to communicate with security agencies.

“One noticeable lacuna is information and timely alert of the security agencies to incidents of crimes, breach of security, and natural disasters before they happen or while they are going on. In most cases, they would have been prevented or mitigated if the alert had come in time,” he said.

“As part of the response to this challenge, the ministry of interior has therefore developed an application, a technological innovation that works with the smart mobile phone or any other device with Android or IOS capability, to send alerts to all security agencies in real time.

“The initiative is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s policy of making the security of lives and property of Nigerians a priority.

“It is also part of the objective of leveraging on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in doing government business and operations.”

Aregbesola said the application is free to use for Nigerians, adding that for now, it can only work on smart devices.

“The app utilises a combination of audio-visual and geospatial location identification of the caller and scenes of incidents on the ministry inter-agency situation room (MISR),” he said.

“It also works on the command and control centres, dashboards of the four services, that is, immigration service, correctional service, federal fire service, civil defence as well as police headquarters for joint inter-agency operations.”

The app can be downloaded by searching for ‘NISPSAS’ on the Android or iOS playstore.