Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has called for the establishment of a comprehensive national database, saying it is essential for improving security operations and tackling criminal activities across Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Friday, Musa said Nigeria must adopt stronger technological systems that would allow security agencies to easily identify, monitor and track criminal suspects both within and outside the country.
According to him, countries with effective security systems rely heavily on organised databases and biometric records to detect offenders and respond quickly to crimes.
“We must have a database as Nigerians,” Musa said.
“With the database, if you go abroad, you commit an offence, it’s very easy for them to arrest you. It’s not by magic. It’s because they have a database. They get your thumb print or your face or your signature or something, they can get you as quickly as possible.”
The defence minister stressed that Nigeria cannot effectively combat insecurity without embracing technology-driven solutions and stronger data management systems.
He also advocated a comprehensive census of Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora, arguing that accurate population records would strengthen planning and improve national security coordination.
“Census is one thing I also want to encourage. We must conduct a Census of all Nigerians in the world. With technology, we can do that,” he stated.
Musa said a functional database would make it more difficult for criminals to operate anonymously or evade security agencies.
“And once we do that, it makes crime and criminality difficult,” he added.
The minister further explained that improved monitoring systems, especially in the financial sector, would help authorities detect suspicious transactions connected to criminal activities.
“So the central bank, we need them to also be able to follow up. When payments are made, they should be able to get the profile. If they see monies that were paid, being transferred into banks, they should be able to track it,” he said.
Musa maintained that building a reliable national database is one of several urgent reforms needed to address Nigeria’s security challenges.
“There are steps we need to take to address security. If we don’t do them, they will continue to haunt us,” the minister warned.
Credit: The Sun