Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu has met the Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organisation, Valdecy Urquiza, in Lyon, France, as Nigeria seeks to strengthen international police cooperation.
The meeting took place on Monday during Disu’s maiden official visit as Inspector-General of Police to the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
Nigeria seeks stronger international police cooperation
According to the statement, Disu and senior INTERPOL officials discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in several areas of transnational crime.
The discussions covered cybercrime, counter-terrorism, financial crime, organised crime, fugitive tracking and intelligence sharing.
The meeting also focused on improving Nigeria’s use of INTERPOL databases and other international policing tools.
“The engagement also provided an opportunity to review Nigeria’s participation in INTERPOL-supported initiatives and explore further areas of technical and operational collaboration aimed at strengthening criminal intelligence analysis, cross-border investigations and the disruption of transnational criminal networks,” the statement said.
The Nigeria Police Force said the visit formed part of efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to tackle crimes that operate across national borders.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to strengthening cooperation with INTERPOL and international law-enforcement partners, leveraging intelligence, technology and global policing capabilities to combat evolving security threats and deny criminal networks the ability to operate across borders,” the statement added.
Senior police officers accompany Disu
Disu was accompanied by the Head of INTERPOL Nigeria and National Central Bureau, Abuja, AIG Olaolu Adegbite.
Other members of the delegation included the Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, AIG Ezima Akaninyene Ifem; Head of the Nigeria Police Counter Terrorism Unit, AIG Akoh Benedict Gabriel; and INTERPOL Africa Committee member, CP Ojajuni Olubode.
INTERPOL steps up fight against transnational crime
The meeting comes as INTERPOL continues to support international operations against organised and cyber-enabled crime.
In August, the organisation 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.
INTERPOL has also worked with Nigerian law enforcement agencies on operations targeting financial crime, cybercrime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
The latest meeting is expected to further strengthen intelligence sharing and operational cooperation between Nigeria and INTERPOL in tackling criminal networks that operate across borders.