NSCDC officials learn new security tactics at FUTA workshop

As part of measures to curb insecurity in Nigeria, the Leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC form Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states were recently at the Federal University of Technology Akure ,FUTA where experts took them through new trends in using technology for security mapping and associated configurations. The workshop under the aegis of the Tertiary Education Fund TETFund National Research Fund Grant had as its title, “Geospatial Technology - Based Information System for Crime Management.”

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic professor Sunday Oluyamo, stated that the project headed by Professor Joseph Akinyede generated much interest due to its relevance to the current security challenges facing our nation. She said the backlash from the onset of the Boko Haram insurgency, armed robberies, killings; land grabbing, Cybercrimes and other untoward developments have opened a new chapter in security challenges in Nigeria.

She said it is against this backdrop that financial, human and technological resources were mobilized through the award of Tetfund-support project, to address the diverse issues of insecurity in South Western Nigeria.

 Professor Oladiji listed some of the achievements of the project since inception as collaboration with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) for identification of crime hotspots and patterns, spatial coverage, crime types, distribution and mapping in southwestern states, development of a crowd-sourcing android mobile app, named GTISMA that reports real-time crime incidents by the populace among others.

Professor Oladiji said the research was conducted by FUTA research team which deployed advanced geospatial technologies such as Remote sensing techniques, Global Positioning Systems, GPS, unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV Geographic Information Systems and surveillance cameras. She was optimistic that the forum will have a great impact on the security challenges facing the nation and South west Nigeria in particular.

The Principal Investigator, Professor Joseph Akinyede stated that the project is an effort to join forces with NSCDC in finding solutions to various social vices such as kidnapping, killing, robbery and so on in Nigeria, particularly the south west region. He said, "It is all about the security of lives and properties which we considered as key to the socio-economic development of our nation, particularly the south west region of Nigeria.

Hence it became imperative to put heads together and decide on the best approach to finding solutions to the menace of ritual killings, kidnappings, bank/highway robbery, herdsmen-farmers conflicts, banditry and other crimes that have been ravaging our society for over a decade".

Professor Akinyede affirmed that the workshop provided an opportunity to create awareness among stakeholders of NSCDC of the need to protect common heritage in an era of anxiety, danger, fear to go about our businesses due to the high level of insecurity in the society. He stressed on the necessity to use any method practicable, including the advanced methods of Geospatial Technology to defend and protect lives and properties with the mindset to complement the combative efforts of law enforcement agencies.

He also expressed his gratitude to members of our research team for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the course of project implementation and in achieving all project objectives.

There were presentations on Crime spots, App/Web and Ground Station Management and Project Sustainability.

The forum was attended by State Commandants, Deputy State Commandants and officers from commands of the NSCDC in the six southwestern states of Nigeria.