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Molly Kilete, Abuja
International Criminal Police Organisation, otherwise known as Interpol, experts are meeting in Abuja to brainstorm on terrorism, violent extremism, kidnapping, arms smuggling and illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons that is bedeviling Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
The weeklong conference, which is taking place at the international conference center, Abuja, would also focus on cybercrime, cattle rustling, human trafficking, maritime insecurity, herders and farmers conflict amongst other violent crimes in Nigeria, the Sahel region and other countries in the African continent.
The conference, which is being attended by members of the National Central Bureau (NCB) focal officers from the 194 Interpol member countries, security experts from across the globe as well as other safety agencies in Nigeria has its theme as “For a Safer World.” The security agencies include the NDLEA, EFCC, NIS, NCS, NAPTIP and NAFDAC, to fine-tune the existing working partnerships amongst security organizations within and outside Nigeria with a view to improving on the security situation in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
In his address at the occasion, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, while noting that the Nigeria Police was hosting the conference for the first time, said the conference was coming at a time when the nation, sub-region and the international community were faced with complex, transnational and technology-driven security threats.
Adamu, who said Nigeria Interpol NCB maintains criminal databases, pointed out that it has been supporting the law enforcement community in diverse ways, especially in the areas of criminal information processing and sharing, global monitoring and apprehension of criminal elements.
He further stated that the conference would also afford participants the opportunity to 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: “Over the years, the membership of organisation has grown from a committee of the original 24 chiefs of police to a worldwide body comprising of 194 member states. Interpol’s vision is ‘Connecting Police for a Safer World’. It is from this that the theme of the 1st Nigeria Interpol week, which is “For a Safer World,” was coined.
