OWERRI — The Nigeria Police Force has introduced the National Transit E-Manifest (NTEM) platform to strengthen security in the road transportation and hospitality sectors and address gaps in the tracking of travellers and hotel guests.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Audu Bosso, disclosed this on Wednesday in Owerri during a stakeholders’ engagement with hoteliers on the digital security platform.

The engagement was themed, “Enhancing Hotel Security Through Digital Guest Registration and Real-Time Information Management.”

Bosso said the initiative, backed by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, integrates digital passenger manifests with real-time hotel guest identity management systems.

He said criminal groups, including kidnappers, armed bandits and human traffickers, exploited weaknesses in paper-based transport manifests and inadequate lodging records to operate anonymously.

“The National Transit E-Manifest is far more than technology; it is a strategic tool engineered to trace fleeing offenders and safeguard travellers,” Bosso said.

According to him, the platform integrates National Identification Number (NIN) verification into the systems of transport operators and hotel check-in procedures to facilitate identity verification and tracking.

Bosso also said digital records generated through the NTEM platform were admissible in court under Section 84 of the Evidence Act 2011, adding that the records could assist investigations and prosecution.

He assured stakeholders that personal information captured through the platform would be securely managed in compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

The commissioner urged park managers, hotel operators and transport union leaders to adopt the digital system, saying it would strengthen security coordination at both state and national levels.

He said the engagement was part of an ongoing partnership between the Nigeria Police Force and Travi Mobile Ltd to improve digital information management and security coordination within the hospitality sector.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Imo State chapter of the Hotel Owners Association, Chief Stanley Ohiri, pledged the commitment of hoteliers in the state to implementing the digital platform.

Ohiri said the hospitality and tourism sector remained a major employer of labour in the state and contributed to efforts to address youth unemployment and crime.

He described the NTEM system as a step towards improving security and protecting investments, stressing that a safe environment was essential for business operations and economic growth.

“We are fully committed to this course because keeping our state safe directly protects our businesses from criminal elements,” Ohiri said.

He commended Bosso for what he described as proactive policing strategies, saying improved security had positively affected hotel patronage and local commerce in the state.

The engagement also featured a practical demonstration of the digital guest registration process by the Chief Executive Officer of Travi Mobile, Mr Jonah Ukoh, and NTEM Operations Head, Mrs Lilliane Ukoha, to familiarise stakeholders with the platform.