IGP Canvasses United Front Against Transnational Organised Crime in West Africa

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has called for stronger regional collaboration among West African nations to combat transnational organised crime, emphasising the importance of intelligence sharing, coordinated law enforcement efforts, and collective action in addressing security challenges confronting the sub-region.

Disu made the call while presiding over the 11th Meeting of Heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) for West Africa, held at Johnwood Hotel in Abuja.

According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid, the meeting brought together heads of NCBs from 16 West African countries, as well as senior representatives of the INTERPOL General Secretariat and regional security organisations.

Addressing participants, the IGP highlighted the evolving threat landscape across West Africa, noting that criminal networks continue to exploit porous borders and regional vulnerabilities to advance their operations.

He said: “Human trafficking syndicates, arms dealers, drug networks, cyber fraudsters, money launderers, terrorist financiers, and violent extremist groups all share one defining characteristic: they operate without regard for national borders.”

Disu stressed that no single nation could effectively tackle these threats in isolation, maintaining that the success of the region’s security architecture depends on the strength, speed, and effectiveness of partnerships among all 16 member states.

He outlined several measures already being implemented by Nigeria to strengthen regional security cooperation.

These include the expansion of INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure communications network to border control points and law enforcement institutions across the country, ensuring that officers at border crossings have the same real-time access to critical intelligence as personnel at national headquarters.

The IGP also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Project GEMINI through the systematic uploading and verification of INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.

He further cited the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) as a practical example of the benefits of purposeful regional data integration.

Looking ahead, Disu identified three key priorities for enhanced regional cooperation. These include ensuring universal access to INTERPOL’s critical databases across West African border infrastructure, establishing coordination mechanisms capable of facilitating joint operations within hours rather than weeks, and fostering trust and transparency among NCBs to encourage meaningful information sharing.

According to him, even the most sophisticated security systems cannot achieve their objectives in the absence of mutual trust among participating agencies.

The head of the INTERPOL delegation commended Nigeria for hosting the meeting and noted the attendance of all 16 NCB heads demonstrated a shared commitment to regional security despite geographical and operational challenges.

He urged participants to move beyond declarations of intent and embrace measurable commitments capable of producing tangible outcomes.

He also encouraged law enforcement agencies across the region to adopt a proactive approach to crime prevention by anticipating and disrupting criminal activities before they occur, rather than merely responding after the damage has been done.

The 11th Meeting of Heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus reaffirmed Nigeria’s central role in advancing security cooperation across West Africa and underscored the growing recognition that effective policing in the twenty-first century requires collective action and sustained regional partnerships.