The main mobile app of the Nigerian Army, known as NA iReport, has disappeared from the Google Play Store, six years after its launch.
Likewise, the Nigeria Police Force’s Police-VGS Quick Emergency Report and Response System app, introduced in 2023 under the leadership of Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has faced numerous technical issues.
The removal of the Army’s app along with the ongoing technical problems affecting the Police app has sparked concerns regarding the viability of technology-supported public safety programs implemented by Nigerian security organizations.
Launched in October 2018 at the inception of the Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command, the NA iReport application aimed to bolster threat responses through modernization, fortify cyber defense strategies, and foster better collaboration between civilians and military forces.
At the time, the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), said the platform would allow citizens to report terrorist activity and misconduct by military personnel anonymously, promising accountability and faster response times.
Nigerian Army iReport is a mobile application designed for users to submit grievances and share information confidentially with the Nigerian Army.
"It allows citizens to provide up-to-date information... Furthermore, offenses against the constitution committed by current service members can be directly reported to the Army," Buratai said.
Nevertheless, a search conducted by our correspondent on Thursday revealed that the app had been removed from the Play Store.
By 2022, the application had surpassed 10,000 downloads; however, it was not available on the Apple App Store foriPhone users.
It seems that a comparable situation may be developing with the Nigeria Police Force’s Police-VGS Quick Emergency Report and Response System app, which was introduced in 2023.
Despite being accessible via the Play Store with more than 10,000 installations, the application has faced significant criticism from users due to various technical glitches.
The correspondent, after downloading the 99MB application, verified that the software does not include essential features like a registration process. This omission makes it unfeasible for newcomers to log in or submit reports of occurrences.
"A disgruntled user questioned, 'Who among those who gave this app more than one star?'" This comment was found useful by 45 other individuals.
"This application isn't functioning properly... It merely mirrors the prevailing law enforcement conditions in the nation. ABSOLUTELY TERribLE!" the reviewer commented.
A different user commented, "I noticed 'Username,' 'Password,' and 'Sign in' options, but there was no 'Register.' It's not possible to sign in without prior registration. Kindly update the application."
Multiple attempts to obtain a response from the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, did not yield any success by the time this report was submitted.
In response, the spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Onyechi Anele, stated that their organization operates a functional call center where they receive information tips from members of the public.
She stated, "Our 24-hour call center, number 193, is specifically designed to handle citizens' immediate concerns and feedback. Additionally, we maintain active profiles on various social media platforms that are continuously monitored around the clock by our OSINT team using advanced, AI-powered tools capable of conducting sentiment and network analysis. The insights gathered from these analyses contribute to the creation of intelligence reports used for operational purposes."
The NA significantly surpasses what The Punch is discussing, however, we are open to considering any fresh suggestions they might offer.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. Syndigate.info ).
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