The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, PSC(+), NPM, on Monday, 8 June 2026, presided over the 11th Meeting of Heads of INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) for West Africa, held at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja.
The high-level gathering brought together NCB leaders from 16 West African countries, alongside senior officials from the INTERPOL General Secretariat and regional security organisations, to strengthen collective responses to transnational crime across the sub-region.
In his address, the IGP highlighted the evolving and borderless nature of security threats in West Africa, noting that criminal networks involved in human trafficking, arms smuggling, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, terrorist financing, and violent extremism operate seamlessly across national boundaries. He stressed that no single nation can effectively confront these challenges alone, underscoring the need for deeper, faster, and more coordinated regional collaboration.
He outlined Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to enhance security cooperation, including the expansion of INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure communication system to border posts and key law enforcement units, enabling real-time access to critical criminal intelligence. He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to Project GEMINI, which focuses on strengthening the accuracy and usage of INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, as well as the West African Police Information System (WAPIS), designed to improve regional data sharing and coordination.
Looking ahead, the IGP identified three strategic priorities: expanding universal access to INTERPOL databases across West African border security architecture, accelerating joint operational responses among member states, and deepening trust and transparency among National Central Bureaus to enable more effective intelligence sharing.
The INTERPOL delegation commended Nigeria’s leadership and hospitality, noting the significance of full participation from all 16 NCB heads. They urged member states to move beyond discussions and commit to measurable actions that shift regional policing from reactive responses to proactive crime prevention.
The meeting reaffirmed Nigeria’s central role in advancing West African security cooperation and highlighted the growing importance of unified, intelligence-driven policing in addressing twenty-first-century transnational crime.
