Insecurity: Nigerian police launches ‘Rescue Me’ app

The Nigerian police have introduced a software, ‘rescue me app,’ to aid the timely arrival of officers at crime scenes anywhere in Nigeria.

The commissioner of police in Jigawa State, Usman Gonna, told reporters that the police developed the application to tackle insecurity through technology.

He said the application would improve the response time of police officers to emergency situations in real time. He said the application uses internet services and is global position satellite (GPS)-based.

The official said the application can be downloaded at Google Play Store and Nigeria Police National Command and Control Safety Centre’s official website, www.npfc4i.com

Mr Gonna said those who have downloaded and installed the application on their smartphones, in an emergency situation, only need to press the “help button” and the distress button will promptly offer for selection an incident icon.

The icons include Homicide, Killing Spree, Rape, Assault, Kidnapping, Domestic Threat, Burglary and Violence.

After selecting the icon appropriate for the crime one wishes to report, the user is encouraged to select an estimated number of victims to ease the decision-making and preparedness of the rescue team, the commissioner added

“Thereafter, the application immediately activates the camera and microphone of your smartphone for evidence collection and finally, the emergency will be sent successfully to the police control room.

“Nigerians can also use the application to report unprofessional conduct of the police,” the police boss said.