……..As criminals increasingly exploit technology to commit financial crimes, the Police Force unveils a digital platform for faster reporting, investigation and recovery, alongside a new nationwide communication network for officers.
The Nigeria Police Force has taken another major step in its digital transformation agenda with the launch of the NPFVigilant application and the Nigeria Police Force MTN Closed User Group network, two initiatives designed to strengthen the Force’s response to financial fraud, deepen citizen engagement and improve communication among police personnel across the country.
The initiatives were unveiled on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at the Police Resource Centre, Jabi, Abuja, during a ceremony attended by senior police officers, representatives of government institutions, technology and telecommunications companies, financial sector stakeholders and members of the media.
The launch comes against the backdrop of a rapidly changing crime environment, where criminals are increasingly using digital platforms, telecommunications networks and financial technologies to perpetrate fraud, conceal their identities and move illicit funds with speed. For law enforcement agencies, the challenge is therefore no longer limited to investigating crimes after they occur, but also involves developing systems capable of responding quickly enough to prevent losses, trace suspicious transactions and provide timely assistance to victims.
It was within this context that the Police Force introduced NPFVigilant, a digital platform designed to provide Nigerians with a faster and more structured channel for reporting financial fraud, submitting evidence and following up on complaints.
The platform is expected to reduce some of the delays associated with conventional complaint procedures by allowing victims to submit relevant information and supporting documents electronically, while creating a system through which complaints can be monitored and investigated.
Setting the operational context for the initiative, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, DIG Adegoke Fayode Mustapha, said the Police Force could no longer depend solely on conventional methods to confront increasingly sophisticated crimes.
Mustapha said cyber enabled financial crimes had become an everyday reality, with Nigerians losing money through phishing, SIM swap fraud, unauthorised transactions and account takeovers. He explained that criminals often take advantage of the time between the occurrence of a fraudulent transaction and when victims are able to report it, making speed a critical factor in the tracing and recovery of stolen funds.
According to him, NPFVigilant was developed to close that gap by giving citizens a secure digital channel to report incidents, submit evidence, track cases, receive updates and follow recovery actions.
He said the platform was built around three major principles, prevention, speed of response and citizen participation, adding that it would improve the flow of information between victims, investigators, financial institutions and other stakeholders involved in the investigation and recovery of fraudulent funds.
Mustapha explained that users of the platform would be able to create accounts, provide details of what happened and when it occurred, state the amount involved, upload relevant documents or screenshots and provide contact information through which investigators could reach them.
He said the platform was also designed to support faster tracing of suspected fraudulent funds across financial institutions, reducing delays associated with the exchange of physical letters and documentation.
The DIG added that the ICT Department would provide 24 hour support, continuous training for officers and regular audits to safeguard users’ information, protect system integrity and ensure that the platform continues to function effectively.
Speaking after the DIG, the Managing Director of Vigilant Technology Limited, Victor Afolabi, described NPFVigilant as a transformative digital solution developed to strengthen Nigeria’s response to financial crime.
Afolabi said financial criminals were becoming increasingly sophisticated, using advanced technologies, cross border networks and digital anonymity to perpetrate crimes. He argued that law enforcement agencies must therefore continuously innovate if they are to remain ahead of criminals operating in the digital space.
He said NPFVigilant was built around transparency, security and responsiveness, with features designed to create a stronger connection between victims, investigators and relevant institutions.
According to him, the platform goes beyond simply providing a channel for reporting complaints, as it is intended to improve investigative efficiency while keeping victims informed about the progress of their cases.
Afolabi said the Nigerian Police Force ICT Department and its technology partners worked together to develop a system that takes into account international best practices as well as the peculiar challenges associated with financial fraud in Nigeria.
He assured Nigerians that information provided through the platform would be handled securely, describing the launch as an important step towards creating a safer digital environment and improving public confidence in the ability of law enforcement agencies to respond to financial crimes.
The second major initiative unveiled at the ceremony was the Nigeria Police Force MTN Closed User Group network, designed to strengthen communication among police personnel across commands, formations and specialised units.
The MTN representative who spoke at the event said the partnership with the Police Force was aimed at addressing the communication needs of officers and improving connectivity across the organisation.
She said technology should not simply be adopted because it is available, but should be deployed to solve practical problems and improve the ability of institutions to deliver services effectively.
According to her, the CUG initiative would provide police personnel with a more cost effective communication structure, enabling officers to remain connected with colleagues across commands and formations while also making communication with their families and loved ones more affordable.
She noted that effective communication was particularly important in policing because operational deployment, emergency response, investigations and coordination often depend on how quickly information moves between officers, units and commands.
She described the partnership involving the Nigeria Police Force, MTN and TIMPH International Limited as an example of what could be achieved when government and private sector organisations work together towards a common objective.
The representative stressed that no single institution could address Nigeria’s security challenges alone, making collaboration, innovation and trust important components of efforts to build a safer society.
Delivering the keynote address, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, described the launch as another significant milestone in the Force’s effort to build a more responsive, technologically enabled and people centred police institution.
Disu said the policing environment was changing rapidly, with criminals becoming more sophisticated, information moving faster and citizens increasingly expecting public institutions to be accessible and responsive through technology.
He said the Police Force must therefore evolve with these realities by harnessing technology to make policing “faster, smarter, more accessible, and more effective.”
The IGP said NPFVigilant would strengthen communication, information sharing and engagement between citizens and the Police Force, stressing that effective policing depends significantly on the quality and timeliness of information available to law enforcement agencies.
He urged Nigerians to embrace the platform and use it responsibly, noting that while police officers could not be everywhere at the same time, technology and partnerships with citizens could significantly expand the capacity of the Force to prevent and respond to crime.
Disu also charged officers responsible for managing the platform to operate with professionalism, integrity and respect for the law, particularly in the handling of information received from members of the public.
He stressed that citizens who provide information to the police must be confident that their personal information and complaints would be treated with the required level of confidentiality and professionalism.
On the MTN CUG initiative, the IGP said communication remained fundamental to effective policing, warning that delays in transmitting information could affect operational deployment, emergency response, investigations and routine administration.
He said the nationwide communication network would support communication across commands, divisions, formations and specialised units, while also reducing the financial burden on personnel.
Beyond operational considerations, Disu highlighted the welfare dimension of the initiative, saying police officers also needed to remain connected to their families and loved ones.
He said an officer who was better connected, informed and supported would be better positioned to serve the public effectively.
The IGP, however, emphasised that technology must be deployed responsibly and within the law, with adequate safeguards for citizens’ rights and privacy.
“Technology cannot replace police officers. Rather, it must empower officers to obtain and share intelligence faster, communicate better, make informed decisions, and serve citizens more effectively,” he said.
The statement underscored the central message of the launch, that digital transformation within the Police Force is not intended to replace human policing, but to give officers better tools to perform their responsibilities and improve the relationship between the Force and the public.
Disu commended MTN Nigeria, TIMPH International Limited, Vigilant Technology Limited, the Department of ICT and other stakeholders for their contributions to the initiatives.
He called for sustained collaboration between the Police Force, government institutions and private sector organisations, stressing that technology driven policing would require continuous investment, innovation, training and partnerships.
The ceremony culminated in the official unveiling and symbolic activation of the NPFVigilant application and the launch of the Nigeria Police Force MTN Closed User Group network.
The Force said the two initiatives represented more than the introduction of new technological tools, with NPFVigilant designed to strengthen the connection between citizens and the police, while the MTN CUG would strengthen communication within the Force.
The initiatives therefore mark another phase in the Nigeria Police Force’s digital transformation agenda, with the broader objective of improving fraud prevention and recovery, intelligence operational coordination, citizen confidence and the welfare of the men and women responsible for protecting Nigerians.
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