IG, INTERPOL Chief Meet in France, Deepen Fight Against Transnational Crime

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has met with the Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, Valdecy Urquiza, in Lyon, France, as Nigeria seeks to strengthen international cooperation against transnational crime.

The meeting formed part of Disu’s maiden official visit to the INTERPOL General Secretariat since becoming Inspector-General of Police.

According to the Nigeria Police Force, Disu and senior INTERPOL officials discussed ways to expand cooperation in several areas, including cybercrime, counter-terrorism, financial crime, organised crime, fugitive tracking and intelligence sharing.

The discussions also focused on improving Nigeria’s use of INTERPOL databases and other policing tools to support investigations and strengthen the exchange of criminal intelligence.

The police said the engagement provided an opportunity to review Nigeria’s participation in INTERPOL-supported initiatives and identify additional areas for technical and operational collaboration.

Particular attention was given to strengthening criminal intelligence analysis, cross-border investigations and efforts to disrupt criminal networks operating across national boundaries.

Disu was accompanied on the visit by senior Nigerian police officers, including AIG Olaolu Adegbite, Head of INTERPOL Nigeria and the National Central Bureau in Abuja; AIG Ezima Akaninyene Ifem, Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre; AIG Akoh Benedict Gabriel, Head of the Counter Terrorism Unit; and CP Ojajuni Olubode, a member of the INTERPOL Africa Committee.

The engagement comes as Nigerian law enforcement agencies continue to rely on international partnerships to track fugitives, share intelligence and tackle criminal activities that extend beyond the country’s borders.

The Nigeria Police Force said it remained committed to working with INTERPOL and other international law enforcement partners to address emerging security threats.

The Force added that it would continue to leverage intelligence, technology and international policing capabilities to strengthen investigations and prevent criminal networks from exploiting national borders.

The meeting in Lyon also reinforces the importance of international cooperation in tackling crimes such as cyber fraud, terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking and other organised criminal activities that increasingly operate across multiple jurisdictions.

Nigeria and INTERPOL are expected to continue expanding operational and intelligence-sharing mechanisms as both sides work to improve the country’s capacity to respond to transnational security threats.