IGP calls for stronger West African security cooperation against transnational crime

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on Monday called for deeper collaboration among West African law enforcement agencies to effectively combat transnational crime across the region.

According to a statement made available to journalists in Abuja by the Force Spokesperson, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, the IGP made the call while speaking at the 11th Meeting of Heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) for West Africa, held in Abuja.

The statement said the Nigeria Police Chief noted that criminal networks involved in human trafficking, arms smuggling, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, terrorism financing and violent extremism continue to exploit national borders, making regional cooperation essential.

It added that IGP Disu highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international policing cooperation, including the expansion of INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure communications network to border control points and law enforcement institutions nationwide.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Project GEMINI and the verification of INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, while citing the West African Police Information System as a model for effective regional data integration.

The IGP outlined three key priorities for the region: ensuring wider access to INTERPOL databases across border security architecture, developing rapid-response coordination mechanisms among member states, and fostering trust and transparency among NCBs to facilitate timely intelligence sharing. He stressed that even the most advanced security systems would be ineffective without mutual confidence among partner agencies.

The statement further added that representatives of INTERPOL commended Nigeria for hosting the gathering and noted that the attendance of all sixteen NCB heads reflected a shared commitment to collective security, urging participants to move beyond declarations and embrace measurable actions capable of disrupting criminal activities before they occur.

It stated that the meeting reinforced Nigeria’s leadership role in regional security cooperation and underscored the growing importance of cross-border partnerships in addressing the evolving security challenges facing West Africa.

The meeting brought together NCB heads from sixteen West African countries alongside senior officials from the INTERPOL General Secretariat and regional security bodies.