Kidnapping: Security Chiefs Seek New Law On GSM

A new law to regulate GSM ownership in the country may be underway if moves by security agencies to prevail on network providers in capturing details of their customers.

According to plans all the network providers are to capture the image, age, occupation and other personal statistics that would aid in tracking criminals through their lines especially during kidnapping.

The security chiefs who spoke during the study tour of Rivers State by officers of the Nigerian Defence College, Abuja on Monday said time has come for GSM providers to support agencies in tracking down kidnappers.

With the way the industry is being operated they averred it was difficult to track down criminals since most to the GSM providers insist on getting approvals from their head office thereby sabotaging investigations.

Rivers state Police Commissioner, Mr Bala Hassan, while delivering a lecture on the gains and challenges of policing the state observed that even though the new law would infringe on the peoples’ right to freedom of speech it would help in foiling kidnappings.

His words, “Our greatest challenge is from service providers. We need their co-operation in this area but we also need adequate legislation.”

Mr Hassan said laws on acquiring GSM lines should be evolved so that owners would provide their personal details and image without which it would be hard to regulate ownership.

The same view was held by the state director of State Security Services (SSS), Mr Bassey Etteh who described security challenge in the state as unique.

Crippled with the lack of up-to-date technology to track criminals, Mr Etteh opined that the key to tracking kidnappers is GSM, while recalled the success made in apprehending a culprit in Edo State after MTN obliged to assist the agency.

The Rivers State SSS chief also identified sophisticated arms used by the criminals but said government is meeting the challenge by equipping the security agencies with better arms currently.

Earlier in his remarks the Team Leader of Course 18 syndicate of the Nigerian Defence College, Navy Commodore Johnson Olutoye said the team is in Rivers State as part of their course requirement.

Navy Commodore Olutoye stated that the participants are expected to go through some blocks of courses including a four weeks tour in some selected state of the country.

He therefore expressed the believe that the aim would be achieved with the aim of understanding how the state government has through its policies surmounted the challenges of youth development through good security.