By Chinenye Onwusonye
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called on West African countries to strengthen cooperation and intelligence sharing in tackling transnational crimes, warning that criminal networks continue to exploit national borders to perpetrate illegal activities across the region.
The call was contained in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, and dated June 8, 2026, following the 11th Meeting of Heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) for West Africa held at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja.
According to the statement, the meeting brought together heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus from 16 West African countries, as well as senior officials of the INTERPOL General Secretariat and regional security organisations.
Speaking at the gathering, IGP Disu described the security landscape in the sub-region as increasingly threatened by human trafficking syndicates, arms traffickers, drug cartels, cybercriminals, money launderers, terrorist financiers and violent extremist groups. He noted that these criminal networks operate across borders, making regional collaboration essential to combating their activities.
The police chief stressed that the success of the fight against transnational crime would depend on the strength of partnerships among member states and not on the efforts of any single country.
The statement noted that Disu highlighted several measures being implemented by Nigeria to improve international policing cooperation, including the expansion of INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure communications network to border control points and law enforcement institutions across the country. The initiative, he said, would enable officers at border posts to access critical intelligence in real time.
He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Project GEMINI, which focuses on the verification and updating of INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, while citing the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) as a model for effective regional data integration and security collaboration.
On future priorities, the IGP pledged Nigeria’s support for universal access to INTERPOL databases across West African border systems, the establishment of mechanisms for rapid joint operations, and the promotion of trust and transparency among National Central Bureaus to facilitate effective information sharing.
The statement further disclosed that the leader of the INTERPOL delegation commended Nigeria for hosting the meeting and described the attendance of all 16 NCB heads as a strong demonstration of regional commitment to collective security. He urged participants to adopt measurable commitments and focus on preventing crime through proactive intelligence and coordinated action.
The meeting, according to the statement, reaffirmed Nigeria’s central role in regional security cooperation and underscored the importance of collective efforts in addressing emerging security challenges across West Africa.
