The Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES, Musikilu Mojeed, has requested that military authorities collaborate with stakeholders across various sectors to develop a national mobile application that enables victims and eyewitnesses of attacks to report incidents without interference.
Mr Mojeed said such an innovation would curb the spread of misinformation related to Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, provide security agencies with accurate incident data, and help citizens better understand the country’s security architecture.
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He made the remarks on Monday in Abuja at a national symposium organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication on digital innovations in crisis communication.
The event featured a high-level gathering of stakeholders from security agencies, government institutions, policymakers, ICT regulators, media organisations, and development partners, who deliberated on innovative digital approaches for effective national crisis communication.
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Mr Mojeed, a multiple award-winning investigative journalist, noted that the proposed app should incorporate Artificial Intelligence capable of analysing real-time data to support social media monitoring and limit the spread of false information during emergencies.
Mr Mojeed explained that integrating citizen reports with AI-powered data processing and crowdsourced social media updates would enhance Nigeria’s crisis response capabilities. Such a system, he said, would provide automated and real-time responses to public enquiries during emergencies.
“By now, we should design carefully, mobile apps that report crises. For instance, if there is a kidnapping, armed robbery, or other incident along a particular route, there should be real-time updates about what is happening. I’m not talking about the army designing its own app or the police; I mean a partnership that comes together to say this is a national app for crisis reporting.
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“We should be thinking about it because increasingly, we can merge citizen reports with artificial intelligence, which possesses real-time data and then with crowd sourcing, I mean social media management, information that citizens are putting online on social media. If you put all of that together and then there is a real-time response to enquiries in addition to automated responses from such apps, I think it’ll help,” he said.
Mr Mojeed referenced the example of someone planning a trip from Kaduna to Abuja, noting that the app should be able to advise users on the safest travel times based on available data.
“For instance, if somebody wants to travel from Kaduna to Abuja, such an app should advise about the best time to travel or what is happening at that time, going by the information and data on the app. I think it is time that we begin to think about that,” he said.
He maintained that if successfully implemented, the app would help prevent crises, allow citizens to upload reports even before authorities are aware, and enable security agencies to coordinate more effectively.
“So, if we do that, we can create a system where crises are presented, citizens can upload experiences even before authorities get to know about it and then misinformation can be tackled. Meaning authentic information can be circulated to debunk falsehoods and responders can have better coordination and citizens will receive accurate life-saving information when they need it the most.
“The truth of the matter is that this innovation is no longer optional for crisis reporting in Nigeria; it is a necessity, one that will determine how we will effectively protect our communities,” he added.
During the question-and-answer session, Mr Mojeed also urged journalists to remain professional in their accountability roles.
“You can be professional while holding authorities to account. Ensure that all your facts are correct. Most times, the thing that we do is that we side with victims. But you have to be open-minded as a journalist, review the evidence before you and allow the facts to guide you in your reporting,” he advised.
Nigeria’s persistent security challenges
Nigeria continues to battle persistent insecurity marked by frequent kidnappings, armed attacks, and violent assaults on communities, schools, and places of worship.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that terrorists, armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, on motorcycles, abducted 25 schoolgirls from their dormitory, killed the school’s vice principal, and injured a local security guard, Ali Maga.
On 19 November, terrorists attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Igan, in Eruku, Kwara State, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 others. All the worshippers were freed on Sunday.
Last Friday, armed men invaded the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, and abducted 303 pupils, students, and staff, triggering widespread outrage and renewed calls for improved security in the state and the country.
Fifty of the abductees have escaped from their captors, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
These incidents form part of a troubling escalation in banditry, terrorism, and communal violence that has stretched Nigeria’s security agencies thin.
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Many Nigerian communities often rely on fragmented or unofficial information channels, such as social media, to get information about criminal attacks. Such situations contribute to misconceptions, panic, and the rapid spread of misinformation during a crisis.
The absence of a unified national system for real-time crisis reporting and verification has also made it difficult for security agencies to respond swiftly or coordinate effectively.
It is against the backdrop of widespread insecurity that a proposal for a national mobile application, one that allows citizens to report kidnappings, armed robberies, and other attacks in real time, has gained traction among stakeholders seeking innovative ways to strengthen response coordination and counter the spread of false information during emergencies.
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