Will you use the Nigerian Police’ Rescue Me App to alert them if you find yourself in an emergency situation? Well, here is How To Report Police Brutality, Crime, Danger Using ‘Rescue Me App’ – IGP.
Many Nigerians are unaware of the security application the Nigerian Police have launched to help protect the citizens.
However, now that you are reading this report, you now know that there is such application by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to help secure you in case of emergency.
The app helps to speed up police intervention for you in the case of emergency.
So, yes, the NPF have, for long, launched a safety app they called “Rescue Me.”
The mobile application provides a platform for citizens to quickly alert the Police Force in emergency situations.
Should you happen to find yourself in any emergency situation such as threats or exposure to kidnapping, armed robbery, thuggery, riot, lynching, cultism or ritualism, then the Nigerian Police Rescue Me app is your quick go-to.
How the Police safety app works:
First, you need to download the app and install on your phone.
When you find yourself in danger, just tap on the safety button of the app.
When you do this, a prompt will show, requesting you to indicate what kind of harm you are facing and the number of people facing such danger with you.
ALSO READ: Judicial Panels: Police Withdraw Suit After Youths Threaten Second Wave Of #EndSARS Protest
So, you can click on options such as “Only Me” if you are the only person facing such threats.
Or you can choose other options such as 2-5 persons; 5-10 persons up to the option about over 50 persons.
For Ambulance Services:
On the app, you can request for an ambulance should there be need for it.
You can do this by tapping on the app and going to the Ambulance section.
Here, you would be prompted to provide the following answers:
Your name, phone number, nature of incident, nature of persons involved – minors, adults, children, etc.
Also, you would be required to provide information such as your location and hospital previously visited if any, etc.
Other information include email address, contact address and your relation.
Police Rescue Me app
About the Rescue Me App:
The Rescue Me App by the NPF has the police symbol with the Force’s unique set of colours, viz: A circle dissected into Blue, Yellow and Green.
Round the symbol and forming an arch at the top of the symbol are the words, “NPF Rescue Me!”
Also, forming another arch underneath the symbol are words, “Press For Help!”
This indicates that you only need to press the app in a case of emergency and the numerous work of alerting the police, with your location and other details, are done!
Encasing the police logo is a red thin circle with grey environment.
Request For Ambulance:
By using the app, you can also request for an ambulance in case of emergencies involving injuries.
The app claims that you can get an ambulance sent to you no matter your location and time.
Report A Crime Using The App:
In an event you happen to witness a crime, you can report such crime to the police through the app.
So, this provision saves you the time of going to the police station to report such crime.
There have been many a times when people become scared of going to the police station to report crimes for fear of being arrested themselves.
Well, with this app, you can prevent being arrested yet, report a crime you just witnessed.
This way, you would have played your civic responsibility of helping to secure the country as demanded by the constitution.
File A Complaint Against A Police Officer:
Police harassments have been regular occurrences on Nigerian roads.
Police Rescue Me app
Video clips abound on the social media, as well as numerous pieces of evidence about police harassment and or brutality.
In 2020, the continued harassment of the police led to a nationwide protest termed #EndSars which eventually led to the disbandment of that police unit called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
SARS personnel were so brutal that they were accused of several extrajudicial killings, bribery, kidnapping, robbery, cultism and other vices.
They were perpetrating such atrocities almost on daily basis especially on innocent youths all in the name of fighting criminals and fraudsters (Yahoo boys).
This heightened crime by the SARS operatives resulted in the #EndSARS protest that later claimed many lives before the team was eventually disbanded.
However, despite the disbandment of the team and although the Force has dismissed several culprits, many police personnel have continued to harass, and extort, especially the youths.
Others have also been engaging in other vices.
Consequently, the Rescue Me app has provision for filing a complaint against any police personnel acting unprofessionally.
So, even if its not for any other sake, downloading this app for reporting erring police officers is a good reason you must not ignore.
Features Of The Rescue Me App:
It allows users to share their personal information such as name, medical information, address, location, with the operators at the command and control unit of the Nigeria Police Force who then send out the needed help so that absolute safety for you, your family and property is ensured.
NPF launched the app since November 28, 2019 through the partnership of a tech solutions company, Gulf Technologies.
Permission You grant the Rescue Me App when you download:
When you download and install the app, you would grant it the following permissions for it to work on your device.
Contacts: The app will have access to your contact list. This will enable it help the Police secure you properly or get more information about you or your assailants if the need arises.
Location: The app reads your location in two ways, viz:
- approximate location (network-based) and,
- precise location (GPS and network-based).
While the it needs only network connection to read your location based on approximation, it requires both Global Positioning System (GPS) and network connection to track your precise location.
Camera:
Similarly, the app requires you to permit it to have access to your camera for taking pictures and videos in emergency situations.
Microphone:
Also, it requires access to your device’s microphone for recording audio.
Phone:
It can directly call phone numbers or read phone status and identity of or on your device.
Device ID & call information:
Wi-Fi Connections:
Also, it can control vibration on your device and prevent your device from sleeping in case you are already in an emergency situation.
Photos/Media/Files/Storage:
App Downloads:
Nigerians can download the app to their mobile devices for quick use if in emergency.
A statement by Force’s Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, The ‘NPF Rescue Me App’ is available on both the ‘android’ and ‘ios’ application stores for free downloads and usage.
For the app to work on your device, you need a smart device with android operating of 4.4W and Up.
The current version of the app is 2.2.5.
According to information about the app’s download, it currently has over 50,000 downloads.
However, a check on the app on Google Play Store returned a message to a user with an Oppo smartphone that the app does not support his device.
The message reads “Compatibility for your active devices *OPPO CPH1937. Does not work on your device.”
Why NPF Launched Rescue Me App:
Insecurity is highly on the increase.
Rising crime rate in Nigeria has even different dimension, viz: Ritual money, ritual killings and celebration of evil practices; thuggery and touting, kidnapping and demand for ransom as well as insurgencies, armed robbery. Others include, religious intolerance, insecurity caused by secessionists and political intolerance, among numerous others.
According to a recent report by a research firm, Cadre Harmonise (CH), insecurity persists in sever of the country.
It revealed this in its March 2023 cycle of the Cadre Harmonise (CH) analysis report which covered 26 states of Nigeria, namely: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The report reads in part:
“Insecurity, especially insurgency in the North East states particularly in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States still persists; armed banditry and kidnapping for money ransom in some NW states such as Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna state as well as North Central states of Benue and Niger which have also lingered.”
Also, a Guardian report about increasing crime rate in Nigeria, it said “It is quite disheartening to see young men of school age involved in various crimes.
“Education in Nigeria has been so much degraded that most youths view it as a waste of money, time and resources.
“Due to incessant strikes and other bottlenecks in the high institutions, majority of the students have embraced cybercrimes, internet fraud (Yahoo plus) and kidnapping.
“The university professors on the other hand are used by the incumbent government to perpetuate electoral fraud and announcement of election results marred by irregularities.”
Therefore, with the rising cases of insecurity in the country, the police app becomes very useful to Nigerians.
Also, as it is contacting the NPF is a stressful but necessary first step in the case of an emergency situation. The rescue me app is designed to handle this situations for you as it collects the information needed by the command and control unit to know about you, your situation and location before dispatching aid your way.
Call For Nigerians To Download, Use Rescue Me app:
Moreover, acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has recently encouraged all Nigerians to embrace, download, and use the “NPF Rescue Me App.”
According o him, the initiative is aimed at facilitating prompt response and assistance to victims of any kind of insecurity.
He also noted that the technology adoption in fighting crimes in the country is in line with the vision of the Nigeria Police Force to foster stronger community engagement.
So, the ultimate question remains: What are you waiting for to download the Nigerian Police Rescue Me App?
and then