The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has said the force was working on a central database for criminals across the country and that efforts were in top gear toward acquiring more tools for his men to work with.

Mr Baba also said that concerted and intelligence-driven efforts by his team had drastically reduced attacks on police formations, especially in the South-East.

The IGP made this known during a brief virtual media interaction with some journalists.

He also said that he planned to run an open-door policy so that issues of misinformation and fake news were addressed headlong.

“Your criticisms will make us stronger but let them be constructive.

“The essence of this meeting is to emphasise our open-door policy.

“I can assure you that we will work hard with the little resources at our disposal to run intelligence-driven operations in Nigeria through collaboration with other security agencies and stakeholders,” he promised.

Meanwhile, the IGP said that the ban placed on the issuance of permits to vehicles with tinted glasses is not directed at cars with factory-fitted ones.

Mr Baba clarified on Tuesday, saying that the decision was taken to stop the abuses associated with the use of tinted glasses and SPY number plates by unauthorised members of the public.

The IGP had, last month (June), announced the immediate suspension of tinted glass permits and issuance of SPY number plates in the country.

According to him, some mischievous persons have capitalised on the license to commit heinous crimes.

The police boss acknowledged the complaint that his men were taking advantage of the directive on the tinted glass permits to harass innocent car owners with factory-fitted tinted glasses.

He announced that an enforcement mechanism that would enforce the standardised process of issuance of SPY number plates and permit for tinted glasses would be implemented across the country.

Mr Baba said that the police would collaborate with the management of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to firm up an arrangement aimed at observing all necessary regulations before such permits were issued.

“Yes, we understand that there are usually issues with policies and their implementations.

The directive on tinted glass is not about the factory-fitted ones but those that are artificially made to cover the whole screen.

“If you look at the vehicles with factory-fitted tinted glasses, you can still see through them and if there is any need for the driver to open the doors of such vehicles, the security officers will know.

“Those that are not factory-fitted are completely covered so that no one knows who or what they carry.

Those are the ones the ban is targeted at,” he said.

Mr Baba also pointed out that several individuals had of late turned the use of SPY number plates and tinted glasses into a status symbol and had fraudulently obtained such.

He called for collaboration with other sister security agencies and the traditional institutions, including traditional rulers and community-based groups to address insecurity in the country.