Security experts have renewed calls for Nigeria to deepen its use of technological innovations in crime prevention and national security operations.

They spoke at Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, CRAN 2025 Annual Awards/Lecture titled: Harnessing Technological Innovation For Crime Prevention and Control in Nigeria.

A Security Expert and Guest Speaker, Engr. Mustapha Lusty, stressed that effective crime-fighting in the 21st century requires the deployment of advanced tools.

He listed manned drones, armoured vehicles, body-worn cameras, and improved training of security personnel as essential components of a modern security system.

According to him, without equipping officers with both the technology and the skills to use them, security agencies will remain disadvantaged in the face of increasingly sophisticated criminal activities.

Also speaking, a Security Expert Dr. Bone Efoziem emphasised that crime prevention must be prioritised over crime control, noting that control becomes necessary only when prevention fails.

He called for the immediate provision of modern technological tools to frontline security agencies, warning that Nigeria risks falling further behind if it continues to rely on outdated methods.

Dr. Efoziem recalled earlier predictions he made over a decade ago about the proliferation of small arms and the rise of security threats posed by armed herders.

He noted that many of those warnings have now become reality, underscoring the need for government and stakeholders to act swiftly on recommendations presented at such gatherings.

He highlighted key sectors where technological innovation is urgently required, including the armed forces, police, DSS, NIA, and other national security services.

He further stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between security agencies and telecommunication service providers to enhance intelligence gathering.

According to him, the criminal justice system also stands to benefit greatly from digital tools that improve investigation, documentation, and prosecution.

Efoziem emphasised that most security threats entering Nigeria, ranging from arms smuggling to insurgency, come through unmonitored land routes rather than official airports or seaports.

He noted that many villages along the borders serve as informal entry points, making it difficult for conventional border security to function effectively, saying almost every village around the border is a potential route into the country.

He stressed that current equipment and manpower are insufficient to tackle insurgents and armed criminals operating along the borders.

Highlighting the limitations, Efoziem noted that soldiers often face better-equipped insurgents with night vision goggles and heavier weaponry, while border surveillance remains largely manual.

The expert called for redefining border security strategies and integrating technology to detect illegal movements, track suspicious activities, and enable rapid intervention.

He also urged community engagement platforms to allow Nigerians to anonymously report cross-border threats, improving real-time intelligence collection.

Strengthening border security with technology is critical to reducing the flow of arms, drugs, and criminals into Nigeria,” Efoziem said, stressing that proactive monitoring is the only sustainable solution to the nation’s border challenges.

In his welcome words, CRAN President, Olalekan Olabulo called on Nigerian security agencies to leverage technology in the fight against violent crime.

He emphasised the need for security agencies to adopt modern technological solutions to combat the rising wave of violent crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and banditry.

Olabulo said the current security challenges facing the country require innovative and proactive approaches.

“Technology has revolutionised the way crimes are committed and investigated. It’s high time our security agencies tap into this potential.”

Olabulo highlighted the importance of surveillance systems, forensic analysis, and data analytics in modern policing, noting the need for inter-agency collaboration and information sharing to combat transnational crimes.

The Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services, and other security agencies must work together to develop a comprehensive strategy that incorporates technology to prevent, detect, and investigate crimes,” he stressed.

He also called on the federal government to provide the necessary funding and support to enable security agencies to acquire and deploy modern technological solutions.

The fight against violent crime requires a collective effort,” [Name] concluded.

We urge the government and security agencies to take proactive steps to leverage technology and ensure the safety and security of Nigerians.

The call by the CRAN President comes amid growing concerns over the rising incidence of violent crimes in Nigeria, with many calling for innovative solutions to address the challenge.

This year, we will be looking at how we can harness technological innovation to prevent and control crime. Technology is the main thing in town now.

There is nothing we can do now without technology. We want to tell the government, the president of Nigeria, and heads of agencies to defy technology to defend against security.

There are a lot of tools we can use to fight security in Nigeria.

“There is data analytics, there is good technology, there is AI, and there are apps that we can use to fight security in Nigeria.

The government, as a matter of urgency and necessity, deployed technology. We have continued to lose our security agents.

“You can also use information technology and other things to fight crime.

Another thing we also do during our work is to honour officers who have done well in the area of security. We have carefully chosen our recipients for this year, and nobody can fault them” he added.

Olabulo, who also highlighted the importance of technology in solving the nation’s mirage of security issues said in the about 30-years of existence of the Association, it has consistently discussed security issues and proffered some solutions.

According to him, this year’s edition presents another opportunity for deep reflection on Nigeria’s security journey.

The Jagunmolu of Somolu/Bariga Kingdom in Lagos, Oba Gbolahan Akanbi Timson, raised serious concerns over the fate of licensed firearms seized from lawful owners, alleging that many of the weapons collected through an executive order have resurfaced in criminal hands across Lagos and parts of the Southwest.

Oba Timson who was the Royal Father of the Day, said although gun owners complied with the directive to surrender their weapons, the arms were neither returned, destroyed, nor properly accounted for.

According to him, firearms collected from individuals with valid five-year licenses were taken from divisional police offices to state commands, then to the office of the Inspector-General of Police, and eventually transferred to Abuja, a process he described as opaque and troubling.

Those guns were seized not because they were unlicensed or used to commit crimes, but simply because an executive order was issued,” he said. Today, some of those guns have found their way back into Lagos in the wrong hands.

They were not destroyed, and they were not returned. Yet they are now being used by people who never bought them or held any certification.”

The royal father warned that the circulation of such weapons was worsening insecurity, enabling armed groups in communities to operate with impunity and intimidate residents.

He challenged crime reporters to investigate how licensed arms seized under the executive directive were diverted back into public spaces, insisting that accountability was necessary to curb the rising misuse of firearms.

“When licensed guns taken through official channels begin to appear with criminal elements, insecurity cannot be controlled,” he said.

This is a matter that must be exposed and thoroughly probed.”

Oba Timson further urged journalists to revive the courage and investigative rigour that once defined crime reporting in Nigeria, noting that fearless media scrutiny remains essential to uncovering failures in the country’s security system.

In his keynote address, the Chairman of the occasion, Akeem Osuolale,
warned that Nigeria’s continued reliance on manpower-heavy operations rather than modern surveillance tools and digital systems was undermining national security efforts.

He decried the deployment of large numbers of personnel to tasks that could be handled more efficiently through technology.

“Simple technology should be able to identify pressure points and deploy men where they are truly needed,” he said.

According to him, many countries have already embraced automated surveillance, real-time monitoring software, and AI-powered analysis—tools capable of detecting threats faster and more accurately.

He noted that Nigeria’s data management remains weak, allowing criminals such as kidnappers to operate freely.

“We are still working with data that is not fully processed or utilized,” he said.

Osuolale, who was represented by a legal practitoner, Bar Olayinka Sanni also faulted the country’s intelligence cycle, saying vital information too often fails to reach the right operatives on time.

He referenced an intelligence alert from the previous week that was not acted upon, describing it as evidence of systemic breakdown.

He called for increased funding, advanced training, and a deliberate shift from outdated approaches to innovative, tech-supported policing.

Innovation has gone so deep that simple tools can solve many of the security challenges we face,” he said.

He said effective countries rely not on sheer numbers of officers on the streets but on strategic use of technology and coordinated intelligence networks.

Broader security analysts at the event agreed that technologies such as surveillance drones, biometric databases, ANPR systems, GPS tracking, and AI-driven crime-mapping solutions are already proving effective in Nigeria and should be expanded nationwide.

They added that digital platforms for community policing, emergency reporting, and cybercrime monitoring are increasingly becoming vital to modern law enforcement.

Despite these advancements, the speakers identified challenges such as inadequate funding, insufficient officer training, weak digital infrastructure, and cybersecurity risks.

They urged the government to address these gaps and strengthen partnerships with local innovators.

The forum concluded with a call for Nigeria to fully embrace technology as a strategic pillar for building a safer and more secure nation.