INTERPOL Week: IGP Adamu drives global collaboration against crime

In a bid to drive global collaboration towards effectively addressing emerging crime trends in Nigeria and other countries; the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu, last week, hosted 194 INTERPOL member countries at the 2019 INTERPOL Week in Abuja. CHIZOBA OGBECHE was there.

The International Criminal Police Organisation otherwise known as INTERPOL is an international organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control.

Nigeria’s membership of the global organisation dates as far back as October 1960.

NCB Abuja

The National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, is the coordination and investigations office for INTERPOL enquiries linked to Nigeria and plays a central role in preventing the country and surrounding region from international organised crime.

The Bureau provides globally sourced intelligence about regional crime as well as helps police officers across Nigeria detect and investigate the flow of illicit goods along trafficking routes in and around the country.

Nigeria Police Force (NPF) uses the NCB to work with the global police community in investigating crime and bringing criminals to justice as well as works in collaboration with other leading agencies including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLA), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Nigeria Customs Services (NSC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the National Agency for Foods (NAPTIP), National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Nigeria has hosted a range of INTERPOL meetings and training courses including on INTERPOL’s firearms policing capabilities comprising the Illicit Arms Records and tracing Management System (iARMS), the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network (IBIN) and the INTERPOL Firearms Reference Table (IFRT).

Participants from a range of national security agencies were trained on how to share data at the national and global level on the movement of legal, and illegal firearms, as well as details of weapons which have been used in a crime.

Nigeria has also seconded specialised officers to INTERPOL offices around the world, including the General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, the Regional Bureau in Abidjan and the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore.

Expanding connections to INTERPOL network

Growing concerns over cross-border crimes gave rise to the need for the Nigeria Police to intensify efforts to increase access to INTERPOL information as well as ensure that agencies at key border control points, including the immigration services and customs service, could access INTERPOL’s global databases.

The organisation’s databases contain details of more than 43,200 foreign terrorist profiles in addition to nearly 75 million stolen and lost travel documents, stolen vehicles, DNA and fingerprints among others.

Similarly, access to INTERPOL’s vital global policing information formed key points of discussion during INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock’s first mission to Nigeria in February 2018. The INTERPOL Chief had met with the country’s Minister of the Interior Lt Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), Muhammed Babandede.

The secretary general, who lauded NBD Abuja on the expansion of Nigeria’s connections to the global policing network said: “Information is the lifeblood of policing, and Nigeria is taking major steps forward in making sure their officers can do their job effectively, no matter where their duty station.”

The minister and secretary general signed an agreement formalising Nigeria’s support for the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) programme. The WAPIS programme implemented by INTERPOL and funded by the European Union is aimed at creating national criminal data systems in each of the 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries, plus Mauritania and Chad, along with the development of a regional platform for stronger criminal data exchange.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provided the framework for the implementation of WAPIS in Nigeria which is among the latest beneficiary countries since the implementation of the programme’s third phase in November 2017. With most law enforcement information in Africa maintained on paper-based systems, WAPIS modernised the way regional law enforcement works by providing an electronic platform to register, store, check, analyse, and share police data.

Inaugural INTERPOL Week

The 2019 INTERPOL Week, which was first of its kind, held in Abuja, Nigeria capital city from August 23-29, and had in attendance focal officers from the 194 INTERPOL member countries, security experts from across the globe, other security and safety agencies in Nigeria including the NDLEA, EFCC, NIS, NCS, NAPTIP and NAFDAC.

The theme of the Week: A Safer World was targeted at fine-tuning existing working partnerships amongst security organisations within and outside Nigeria with a view to improving on the security situation in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, according to a post conference press statement by the Force Public Relations Officer DCP Frank Mba.

The spokesperson further stated that the expectation of the IGP was that at the end of the week-long colloquium the competences and capacities of the participants would have been greatly enhanced towards effectively addressing the challenges of policing in the 21st century.

INTERPOL crime tracking

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the INTERPOL Week, the Minister of Police Affairs Alhaji Mohammed Dingyadi rated the global organisation as the best agency to track criminal activities, noting that crime was growing very sophisticated and transnational, with organised criminal groups committing crimes that touch multiple jurisdictions.

Dingyadi said Nigeria was facing series of security challenges, ranging from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, trafficking in arms and other illicit activities.

Addressing security threats from Free Trade Agreement

Giving an opening remark at the opening ceremony IGP Adamu expressed worries that signing of African Free Trade Agreement within the ECOWAS framework could present new sets of security threats in the West African Sub-Region.

According to him, “Much as the INTERPOL framework has been helpful in strengthening partnerships among national law enforcement agencies towards addressing the global security question, the issue of border security and management remains a constant threat.

“In this regard, the signing of the African Free Trade Agreement within the ECOWAS framework could present new sets of security threats in the West African Sub-Region for which we need to step up our collaborative efforts, devise new strategies and build enduring partnerships to contain. It is our expectation that this concern shall form part of our discourse during this 2019 INTERPOL Week.”

While highlighting the threats the IGP asked for the help of the International Police (INTERPOL) in curbing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

The police boss said it was the first time NCB Abuja would be dedicating an entire week towards drawing attention to the activities and strategic roles of INTERPOL in national, regional and global security.

“The Week will enhance the professional knowledge of law enforcement officers as strings of lectures that are designed to give them insight into the capabilities and the opportunities that INTERPOL could offer in aid of the attainment of our security management mandates will be delivered.

“…Coming at this time when the nation, sub-region, and the international community are faced with complex, transnational, and technology-driven security threats, the Nigeria INTERPOL Week presents a unique opportunity for all strategic security actors and stakeholders within and beyond the country to interact, discuss, build veritable professional network and evolve workable strategies within the context of the INTERPOL’s mandate towards tackling the security threats in a coordinated and sustainable manner,” he said.

High point of the Week, which featured among others presentation of papers by heads of key security agencies, visit to IDP camp; and novelty match; was the laying of  foundation stone for the construction of the INTERPOL NCB Headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking on the development IGP Adamu said, “In the course of the Week, we shall be laying the foundation stone for the construction of the Nigeria INTERPOL National Central Bureau Headquarters which is a landmark initiative.”

Leave a Reply