Police partner hoteliers, transporters to combat kidnapping, robbery, others

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has called on hoteliers, transport operators and other stakeholders to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force in tackling kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking and other crimes.

Disu said the adoption of the National Transit E-Manifest (NTEM) technology would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve access to passenger and hotel guest records, and enhance the capacity of security agencies to prevent and investigate crimes.

The IGP, who spoke through the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, made the call yesterday at a stakeholders’ engagement on NTEM held at the Police Officers’ Mess, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

He described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening intelligence-led policing through technology and improved information sharing among transport operators, hospitality businesses and authorised security agencies.

According to him, the changing nature of criminal activities requires the police and other security agencies to continually review their strategies and embrace more effective approaches to crime prevention.

He identified one-chance robbery, highway attacks, kidnapping, human trafficking and other forms of organised crime as security challenges that offenders exploit weaknesses in existing systems to perpetrate.

“These challenges underscore the need for timely intelligence, effective information sharing and the deployment of technology to strengthen our collective response to crime,” he said.

Disu explained that NTEM was designed to improve the management of passenger records and hospitality guest information through a coordinated digital platform that supports security operations, strengthens accountability and enhances responses to emerging threats.

He said the initiative was not merely a technological advancement but a practical measure to improve intelligence-led policing, assist in identifying suspicious movements, trace suspects, support investigations and protect innocent citizens.

He added that the system would promote safer transportation, more secure hospitality services and greater public confidence in security institutions.

The IGP expressed concern that criminal networks often exploited weaknesses in passenger documentation and hotel registration procedures to conceal their identities and movements.

He noted that incomplete, inaccessible or unverifiable information could make it difficult for investigators to identify suspects and reconstruct their movements during criminal investigations.

“In Lagos, addressing these vulnerabilities requires a deliberate shift from largely manual record-keeping practices to more reliable and technology-driven processes,” he said.

He observed that passenger information in the road transport sector was frequently documented through handwritten manifests, which could be difficult to verify, retrieve or authenticate when required.

Similarly, some hotels and guest houses lacked the digital capacity to maintain accurate guest records and facilitate timely verification, creating gaps that could hinder investigations and delay security responses.

Disu said a coordinated electronic record system would help address these shortcomings by improving the quality, accessibility and traceability of relevant information, subject to established legal procedures and appropriate safeguards.

He explained that the National E-Manifest Technology System, developed through collaboration between the police and relevant industry stakeholders, was intended to provide a digital framework for transport operators, motor park managers, hospitality businesses and authorised security agencies.

The system, he said, would integrate identity verification, including the appropriate use of National Identification Number (NIN) verification, with passenger manifest and hotel check-in procedures to improve the reliability of records generated across the sectors.

“When properly implemented and lawfully accessed, such information can assist in crime prevention, intelligence gathering, suspect identification and the timely investigation of security incidents,” he said.

The police chief, however, stressed that the deployment of technology for security purposes must operate within a clear legal framework.

He cited the Police Act 2020 as providing the institutional basis for the Nigeria Police Force to prevent and detect crime and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in discharging its statutory responsibilities.

He also referred to applicable laws on terrorism, cybercrime, immigration and national security, noting that electronic records could support judicial proceedings where the relevant requirements of the Evidence Act 2011, including Section 84 where applicable, were satisfied.

Disu emphasised that security operations must not undermine citizens’ fundamental rights, particularly their right to privacy and the protection of personal information.

He said the implementation of NTEM must comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, including requirements relating to the lawful collection, processing, storage and protection of personal data.

“Personal data must be handled only for legitimate purposes and in accordance with applicable legal requirements,” he said.

He urged transport unions, motor park operators, hotel owners, hospitality managers and security personnel to take ownership of the initiative by ensuring that passenger and guest records were properly maintained and the platform used responsibly.

According to him, effective implementation of NTEM would strengthen preventive policing, improve public-private sector cooperation, protect commercial activities and contribute to a safer environment for residents, visitors and investors.

He called on stakeholders to engage with the implementation team, familiarise themselves with the operational procedures and ensure that their organisations were adequately prepared to adopt the system.

Disu said combining modern technology with credible information, institutional cooperation and respect for citizens’ rights would strengthen the collective capacity to prevent crime and promote lasting security in Lagos State and across the country.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Travel Mobile Limited, Jonah Uko, explained the purpose, operation and security benefits of the NTEM application, describing it as a platform designed to assist the police in managing information on travellers and hotel guests.

Uko said the system was introduced to improve accountability, strengthen security, support intelligence gathering and enhance investigations, while providing an additional layer of protection for Nigerians and visitors.

On what would happen when a hotel guest refused to provide personal details, he said the application was designed to address the problem of guests supplying incomplete or inaccurate information during check-in.

According to him, guests who refused to provide the required information would not be checked into the hotel. He added that hotel operators could use the application to alert the relevant security agencies when a guest declined to provide the necessary details.

Uko stressed that NTEM was intended not only to assist the police but also to protect hotel guests through the secure handling of their information.

He said the system was designed around the principles of safeguarding, integrating, storing, transmitting and aggregating data securely, adding that personal information, including phone numbers, could expose an individual’s identity and location if not properly protected.

He maintained that the police had a responsibility to protect citizens’ personal information alongside their lives and property, noting that adequate data protection would build public confidence and encourage guests to provide accurate information.

Asked whether the police would have access to information submitted by guests through the application, Uko confirmed that the platform was designed to make the records available to relevant security agencies.

He described the arrangement as a practice adopted in other countries, where guest registration information could be made available to security authorities in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

On the implementation of NTEM in Lagos, he said the initiative had commenced, with the team engaging hotel operators, industry unions and security agencies to promote adoption and ensure effective use of the platform.

Regarding possible sanctions against hotels that refused to adopt the system, Uko said compliance was a legal obligation and warned that operators who deliberately failed to meet applicable requirements could be held accountable under the law.

He also expressed confidence that the adoption of NTEM could increase guests’ confidence in hotels by addressing concerns about security and the handling of personal information.

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