The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is seeking stronger international cooperation and intelligence-sharing to tackle crimes that operate across national borders.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, made the push during a meeting with the Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, Valdecy Urquiza, in Lyon, France, on Monday.
The meeting formed part of Disu’s maiden official visit to the INTERPOL General Secretariat since becoming Inspector-General of Police.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in cybercrime, counter-terrorism, financial crime, organised crime, fugitive tracking and intelligence sharing.
The police authorities also reviewed the use of INTERPOL databases and other policing tools to improve Nigeria’s capacity to investigate and disrupt criminal networks operating across borders.
“The engagement also provided an opportunity to review Nigeria’s participation in INTERPOL-supported initiatives and explore further areas of technical and operational collaboration,” the statement said.
The Force said the collaboration would help strengthen criminal intelligence analysis, cross-border investigations and efforts to disrupt transnational criminal networks.
It added that the Nigeria Police Force remained committed to working with INTERPOL and other international law-enforcement partners by leveraging intelligence, technology and global policing capabilities to tackle emerging security threats.
Disu was accompanied by the Head of INTERPOL Nigeria and National Central Bureau, Abuja, AIG Olaolu Adegbite; Director, Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, AIG Ezima Akaninyene Ifem; Head, Nigeria Police Counter Terrorism Unit, AIG Akoh Benedict Gabriel; and INTERPOL Africa Committee Member, CP Ojajuni Olubode.
The meeting comes amid increased international efforts against organised and cyber-enabled crime in West Africa.
In August, INTERPOL said an eight-month operation targeting organised crime groups in West Africa resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects across 23 countries.
The international police organisation has also worked with Nigerian law enforcement agencies on operations targeting financial crime, cybercrime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
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