West African INTERPOL Chiefs meet in Abuja, seek stronger crime-fighting cooperation

By Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA — Heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) from 16 West African countries have converged on Abuja for the 11th Meeting of Heads of NCBs, with a renewed call for stronger regional cooperation against transnational crime.

The meeting was hosted by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, who urged participating countries to strengthen collaboration in tackling cross-border criminal activities.

Addressing delegates on Monday, the IGP highlighted the growing threats posed by human trafficking, arms smuggling, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, terrorism financing and violent extremism across the region.

He stressed that such crimes transcend national borders and require coordinated action among law enforcement agencies.

According to him, the effectiveness of the region’s response will depend on the quality of partnerships and information-sharing mechanisms among member states.

Disu said Nigeria has taken steps to strengthen security cooperation by expanding access to INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure communications network at border points and law enforcement institutions across the country.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Project GEMINI, which focuses on the verification and uploading of records to INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.

The IGP cited the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) as an example of successful regional data integration and cooperation.

He outlined three priority areas for Nigeria: expanding access to INTERPOL databases across West Africa’s border architecture, improving rapid-response coordination among member states, and strengthening trust and transparency among NCBs to facilitate effective information sharing.

Representatives of the INTERPOL General Secretariat and regional security organisations also attended the meeting.

A leader of the INTERPOL delegation commended Nigeria for hosting the event and described the full participation of all 16 NCB heads as a demonstration of the region’s commitment to collective security.

Participants were encouraged to focus on practical commitments aimed at preventing and disrupting criminal activities before they occur.

The meeting underscores ongoing efforts to strengthen regional security cooperation and enhance coordinated responses to transnational crime across West Africa.

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