The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has pointed out that collaboration of security agencies will serve as a vital platform to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies in leveraging INTERPOL’s tools to foster peace and security across the nation.
He stated this at the workshop on the International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL with the theme “Strengthening Internal Security: A Path to a Safer Nigeria.” organized by the Ministry of Police Affairs in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and National Central Bureau, NCB, Abuja.
The Minister said he firmly believes the insights and outcomes from the workshop will be critical in addressing the pervasive insecurity that currently afflicts society.
In his words, “We must acknowledge that for decades, our nation has grappled with the chronic issue of criminal victimization, which has severely impacted the safety and well-being of our citizens. In recent years, we have faced an alarming rise in insurgency and terrorism, which have taken on increasingly complex international dimensions”.
He said ”the erosion of safety in our country extends far beyond the direct consequences of crime; it calls for a robust response to strengthen our internal security framework with the aid of advanced international policing tools. As technology evolves, so too must our strategies to combat these threats.
“INTERPOL is a prestigious organization with a membership spanning 196 countries, actively engaged in combating terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cybercrime, among other pressing issues. This Workshop is convened with the intent of exploring and understanding INTERPOL’s resources, enabling us to effectively integrate these tools into our internal, regional, and global security efforts”.
Gaidam opined that adopting methodologies akin to those employed by the INTERPOL, Nigeria can significantly mitigate internal security challenges in view of the myriad security threats facing the nation today.
He enumerated some of the remarkable strides made over the past year in fulfilling the mandates of the Ministry namely, establishment of a National Criminal Data Fusion Center, NCDFC, for the Nigeria Police Force; 24/7 internet service for the West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS); signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with INTERPOL; automated Police Specialized Services; WAPIS terminals have been provided, granting security agencies access to critical information. and adoption of a legal framework related to the West African Police Information System (WAPIS).
In his goodwill message, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa represented by Major General Olatokunbo Bello, the Chief of defence staff Brigadier General Christopher Musa expressed gratitude for the honour given him to be part of this workshop, noting that due to the rising security challenges in the country, the workshop will provide an opportunity for the participants to rob minds, share ideas and collaborate to improve Interpol activities that will help in the area of tackling the security issues in Nigeria.
The Chairman, Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu(Rtd) stated that security has taken a new dimension in the 21st century and the threats are no longer primarily coming from the conventional (traditional) factors of the usual narrative.
He added that the workshop is entirely INTERPOL driven and National Bureau, NCB Abuja is going to be of great assistance to the Law Enforcement Agents in the area of intelligence gathering, investigation, and collection of electronic evidence of transnational organized crime and corruption.