As part of the concerted efforts to ensure that
Nigeria is an integral part of global policing system, the Inspector General of
Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni attended the 85th Interpol
General Assembly in Bali, Indonesia between 7th – 10th
November, 2016.
The meeting is usually held once in a year by one
hundred and ninety countries, Interpol member nations and attended by Ministers
of Security, Chiefs of Police and law enforcement agencies. Accompanying
the Inspector General of Police to this year General Assembly are the
Comptroller General of Immigration Alhaji Mohammed Babandede, the Commissioner of
Police Interpol, CP Subair Olusola, the director General, NDLEA, Alhaji
Abdallah and the Interpol System Consultant, Chikwe Udensi.
The theme of this meeting is “setting a global roadmap
for International Policing”. The issues of International security and how to
extensively curb transnational organised crime were discussed. Also discussed
were the disturbing trend of cybercrime, corruption, drug related offences,
terrorism, foreign terrorist fighter [FTF] and exploring ways to check the
funding of terrorism.
The IGP, who is an International Police Reforms
Resource Person, headed a panel to discuss transnational organised crime.
He emphasised the challenges posed by systemic corruption and its negative
effects in the fight against transnational organised crime. He
particularly pointed out how endemic corruption has considerable negative
effect on the war against terrorism in Nigeria.
He sighted the commendable strides of the current
administration is making in Nigeria to wage a comprehensive fight against
corruption and improve the quality of lives of Nigerians.
In all Interpol member countries, there is the
National Centre Bureau (NCB) which is the arm of Interpol in every member
country. The tool used by National centre Bureau in connecting the
Interpol Headquarters is the i-24/7. The i-24/7 is the National Data Base
for wanted persons, stolen vehicles, arms, artefacts and missing persons etc.
The i-24/7 is expected to be connected to key law
enforcements agencies in Nigeria e.g Immigration, Economic and Financial Crime
Commission [EFCC], Airports, Seaports and all international borders.
However, currently the connectivity is restricted to the Police. The IGP
had a strategic meeting with the high command of the Interpol and discussed the
general applicability of i-24/7 in Nigeria which will soon take off.
The IGP further had a crucial meeting with chiefs of
Police in West Africa which resolved to revive the West African Police chiefs
Committee [WAPCCO]. To this end, Nigeria will set up WAPCCO secretariat
in the country and host the next general meeting of WAPCCO.
At the end of the three days 85th Interpol
General Assembly, the Chinese Deputy Minister of Security was elected the
president of Interpol following the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent
president. The next Interpol General Assembly will hold in Beijing China
next year, 2017.
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