IGP rallies West African police chiefs, seeks stronger regional alliance against cross-border crime

Olatunji Disu, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has called for deeper collaboration among West African law enforcement agencies to tackle the growing threat of transnational organised crime, warning that criminal networks are increasingly exploiting porous borders and technological advancements to evade detection.

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

The gathering brought together heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus from 16 West African countries, alongside senior officials from the INTERPOL General Secretariat and regional security organisations, to discuss strategies for strengthening cross-border policing and intelligence-sharing.

The police chief painted a grim picture of the security challenges facing the sub-region, noting that criminal enterprises such as human trafficking rings, arms smuggling networks, drug cartels, cybercrime syndicates, money laundering operations, terrorist financiers and violent extremist groups operate across national boundaries with increasing sophistication.

According to him, no single country can effectively combat these threats in isolation.

He stressed that the success of efforts to dismantle such networks would depend largely on the strength, speed and effectiveness of partnerships among law enforcement agencies across West Africa.

“Criminal groups do not respect borders. They move people, weapons, funds and illicit goods across jurisdictions with ease. Our response must therefore be equally coordinated, swift and borderless,” Disu said.

The IGP highlighted measures Nigeria has already taken to strengthen international policing cooperation and intelligence exchange.

Among these is the ongoing expansion of INTERPOL’s secure global police communications platform, I-24/7, to border control posts and law enforcement institutions across the country.

The initiative, he explained, is aimed at ensuring that officers stationed at remote border crossings have the same real-time access to critical intelligence and global criminal databases as personnel at national headquarters.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Project GEMINI, INTERPOL’s initiative for the systematic uploading and verification of records in the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, a tool widely used to track forged, stolen and fraudulently obtained travel documents.

Disu further cited the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) as a practical example of how regional data integration can improve security outcomes, describing the platform as a critical instrument for enhancing information exchange and criminal investigations across national boundaries.

The police chief outlined three key priorities for Nigeria and its regional partners.

The first, he said, is ensuring universal access to INTERPOL’s critical databases across border management and law enforcement architecture throughout West Africa.

Secondly, he advocated the establishment of coordination frameworks capable of facilitating joint law enforcement responses within hours rather than weeks whenever security threats emerge.

The third priority, according to him, is fostering greater trust, transparency and confidence among National Central Bureaus to encourage timely and meaningful intelligence sharing.

He noted that even the most advanced security systems and technologies would be ineffective without mutual trust among agencies responsible for exchanging information.

“Technology can support our work, but trust remains the foundation of effective cooperation. Without it, information will not flow, and opportunities to prevent crime will be lost,” he stated.

The leader of the INTERPOL delegation commended Nigeria for hosting the meeting and investing resources in strengthening regional security cooperation.

The delegation noted that the attendance of all 16 heads of National Central Bureaus was itself a strong statement of commitment to collective security across West Africa despite operational and logistical challenges.

He urged participants to move beyond declarations and adopt measurable commitments that would translate into concrete operational outcomes.

The INTERPOL representative also challenged law enforcement agencies in the region to shift from reactive policing to intelligence-led approaches focused on anticipating and disrupting criminal activities before they occur.

Security experts at the meeting stressed that enhanced regional cooperation has become increasingly important as transnational criminal organisations continue to exploit digital technologies, migration routes and weak border controls to expand their operations.