IGP Disu Calls for Unified West African Front Against Transnational Crime

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called for a stronger and more coordinated West African security architecture to confront the growing threat of transnational crime across the sub-region.

Disu made the call on Monday while presiding over the 11th Meeting of Heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) for West Africa, held at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja, where he urged member states to deepen collaboration against criminal networks operating across borders.

The meeting brought together NCB heads from 16 West African countries, alongside senior officials from the INTERPOL General Secretariat and regional security institutions.

In his address, the IGP painted a stark picture of the evolving security threats confronting the region, noting that criminal syndicates have become increasingly sophisticated and borderless.

He listed human trafficking, arms smuggling, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, terrorist financing and violent extremism as key threats undermining regional stability.

“These criminal networks operate without regard for national borders,” he said, stressing that no single country could effectively combat them alone. “The success of our region depends not on isolated national efforts, but on the speed and quality of collaboration among all member states.”

Disu highlighted ongoing reforms within Nigeria aimed at strengthening intelligence sharing and operational coordination with INTERPOL and regional partners.

He said Nigeria was expanding the INTERPOL I-24/7 secure communications system to border control points and law enforcement agencies across the country, enabling frontline officers to access real-time intelligence.

The police chief also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Project GEMINI, which focuses on the systematic uploading and verification of INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, as well as the West African Police Information System (WAPIS), which supports regional data integration.

Looking ahead, he outlined three priority areas for Nigeria’s engagement within the sub-region: universal access to INTERPOL databases across border security systems, faster coordination mechanisms for joint operations, and stronger trust-building measures among National Central Bureaus.

According to him, without trust and transparency, even advanced security systems would fail to deliver effective results.

The IGP also urged member states to move from reactive policing to proactive intelligence-led operations capable of disrupting criminal activity before it occurs.

A representative of the INTERPOL General Secretariat commended Nigeria for hosting the meeting and praised the turnout of all 16 NCB heads, describing it as a strong demonstration of regional commitment to collective security.

He challenged participating countries to translate discussions into measurable commitments that would enhance day-to-day operations and improve response times to emerging threats.

He further urged security agencies in the region to shift focus from responding to crime after it happens to anticipating and preventing it through improved intelligence sharing.

The meeting reaffirmed Nigeria’s central role in West African policing cooperation and underscored growing consensus among security chiefs that transnational crime can only be effectively addressed through sustained regional collaboration.