Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The International Centre for Investigative Reporting has exposed a troubling paradox at the heart of Nigeria's security architecture: despite billions of dollars invested in surveillance and intelligence infrastructure, ordinary citizens are still being forced to pay out of their own pockets to get police investigations done. The ICIR investigation found that victims in Kano and the Federal Capital Territory are routinely charged thousands of naira to track stolen phones, locate suspects, and pursue criminal cases – a practice that directly contradicts the police's own public assurances that such services are free.
One victim, whose phone was stolen, paid N45,000 to the police before any tracking could begin, according to the ICIR report. In another case, a complainant was asked to pay N15,000 upfront before authorities would even initiate a search. These are not isolated incidents. They represent a systemic failure that has turned what should be a basic civic service into a commercial transaction, leaving countless Nigerians unable to access justice simply because they cannot afford the price of an investigation.
The ICIR's findings come against the backdrop of a staggering investment in surveillance technology by successive Nigerian governments. Between 2020 and 2025, the Nigeria Police Force received several multibillion-naira allocations to procure intelligence equipment, including a ₦16.9 million payment to Ontrac Technologies Limited for the procurement of a COBWEB Data Analytical Server. The National Assembly also approved N4.86 billion for the National Intelligence Agency to purchase equipment to spy on and monitor Nigerians' WhatsApp messages, phone calls, and text messages. In 2025 alone, the Federal Government committed ₦6.11 trillion – approximately 11.1 per cent of the national budget – to defence, intelligence, policing and national security institutions. Nigeria has been identified as Africa's largest spender on surveillance technologies, investing at least $2.7 billion in the last decade, with some estimates placing total security and surveillance spending at over $6.61 billion.
Yet despite this massive investment, the technology meant to protect citizens appears to be either inaccessible to the public or being used as a tool for extortion. Victims report that police officers routinely demand payment before activating tracking systems, exploiting the desperation of citizens who have lost valuable property and have nowhere else to turn. In some cases, officers allegedly charge between N50,000 and N100,000, depending on the victim's bargaining power. The ICIR investigation found that the practice is so entrenched that many Nigerians now accept it as normal, unaware that police tracking services are meant to be free.
The police have previously insisted that tracking of lost items is free. In December 2024, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that tracking by any police division is free to all. Yet the ICIR's investigation reveals a stark disconnect between official policy and ground reality. Victims continue to be asked for money, while officers allegedly divert the funds for personal use. The situation is further complicated by reports that the government's geolocation tracker subscription has sometimes lapsed, leaving police unable to track anyone for weeks at a time. Insiders in the Nigeria Police Force have confirmed that the tracking platform has suffered periods of inactivity because the government failed to renew its subscription, forcing officers to either turn away victims or demand payment to outsource the tracking to private vendors.
The ICIR investigation has reignited a fierce debate about accountability and the use of public funds. Nigerians are asking: if billions have been spent on surveillance infrastructure, why are citizens still being asked to fund investigations from their own pockets? The answer, according to civil society groups and transparency advocates, lies in a combination of chronic underfunding, systemic corruption, and a lack of oversight. Police stations reportedly receive only about N45,000 per quarter for operational expenses – just N15,000 per month – to cover their day-to-day operations. This crippling underfunding has created an environment where officers are forced to improvise, often turning to extortion to make ends meet.
The implications of this practice are devastating. When victims are charged for investigations, justice becomes a commodity available only to those who can afford it. Those who cannot pay are left without recourse, their cases abandoned, their stolen property never recovered. The ICIR's investigation has also raised concerns about the misuse of surveillance technology to track and intimidate civic actors, with reports of police using phone records to trap journalists and activists. The surveillance infrastructure, which was meant to enhance security, has increasingly been used to monitor and silence dissent.
The ICIR's findings have drawn widespread condemnation from civil society organisations and human rights advocates. Many are calling on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the allegations and ensure that officers who demand illegal payments are held accountable. The Police Service Commission and the National Human Rights Commission have also been urged to intervene. But the problem is systemic, and piecemeal solutions will not suffice. Without a fundamental overhaul of police funding, accountability mechanisms, and public awareness, the cycle of extortion will continue.
The question raised by the ICIR investigation is one that every Nigerian deserves an answer to: after spending billions of dollars on surveillance and intelligence, why are citizens still paying to get police investigations done? Until that question is answered, the gap between investment and impact will remain a damning indictment of Nigeria's security governance. As one commentator put it, "When the people paid to protect us cannot even protect us without charging us, then we have a problem." The ICIR has done its part by exposing the rot. The rest is up to the authorities.
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