How poor Internet knowledge undermines policing, criminal justice system’

Poor knowledge and deployment of Information Technology (ICT) have undermined Nigeria’s policing and criminal justice system.

Findings revealed that technology and policing have been interconnected for decades, dating back to the advent of the telephone, automobile and two-way radio.

Today, technology seems to be advancing at a geometric progression pace, as seen through the propagation of the Internet, social media, and high-powered computing among other technological advancements.

The echelon and players in the criminal justice corridor may have ceased to take advantage of the radical growth in ICT.

Most police activities, including statements of suspects or complainants, are, still carried out in the analogue format.

Unbelievably, some top brass in the force are not subscribed to modern channels of communication like Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Telegram, LinkedIn and YouTube. They seem simply not interested in the Internet and all its gains, while their counterparts all over the world, operate social media accounts.

According to Nigeria’s foremost ICT expert, Chris Uwaje, it is not just an issue with the police and the judicial system, but about the digital lacuna in institutional governance and leadership delivered without a digital transformation master plan.

Uwaje, who is the first vice president, of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), said: “Today, 21st Century governance requires a time-driven robust architecture of electronic-government master plan comprises multi-tier IP-Network and intelligent agent necessary to resolve the complex challenges of crisis-prone citizen needs for efficient and effective solutions.”

These needs, he added, include constitutional obligations of government, performing government functions effectively and electronically, fulfilling expectations for e-workflow and task management, harnessing the critical mass of economic intelligence resources and applying electronic governance control and management models.

Others are establishing knowledgeable governance, responding to expectations for governance and civil society demand, competitiveness and engendering peace and prosperity, and building the economic knowledge support systems for improved governance and satisfaction for development.

The rest are delivering ultimate solutions for high yield productivity, helping to optimise business growth and sustainability, fulfilling challenges for citizens’ satisfaction and GDP growth, effective data mining technique for research in governance, enhancing and sustaining governance as a corporate brand, creating wealth for communities and sustaining executive success, besides establishing and sustaining peace and stability, among others.
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