By Daniel Ado
ABUJA — The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in the fight against terrorism financing, money laundering, kidnapping, banditry, cybercrime and other organised crimes through enhanced financial intelligence and intelligence sharing.
The renewed commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Bakari, to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where both institutions pledged to deepen cooperation in tracking illicit financial flows and dismantling criminal networks.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu described financial intelligence as one of the most effective tools in modern law enforcement, stressing that following the flow of illicit funds is critical to disrupting criminal enterprises.
He noted that criminal networks have become increasingly sophisticated, with illicit funds moving across borders within seconds, making financial investigations indispensable in combating terrorism, kidnapping, cybercrime, banditry and other organised crimes.
“The dynamics of crime are changing daily across the world. Tracking the money is key to disrupting criminal enterprises,” the IGP said.
Disu commended the NFIU for its support to the Nigeria Police Force and its role in strengthening Nigeria’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT) framework.
He disclosed that the Force has established a dedicated Proceeds of Crime Section, headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police with expertise in financial crime investigations, to strengthen asset tracing, financial investigations and compliance with national and international AML/CFT obligations.
According to him, the specialised unit will improve collaboration between the Police and the NFIU in identifying, tracing and confiscating proceeds of crime.
The IGP called for sustained intelligence sharing, joint training and capacity building, noting that effective financial investigations could significantly reduce criminal activities across the country.
“If we effectively follow the money, we can solve a substantial percentage of crimes. Criminals leave financial footprints, and by targeting those proceeds, we can dismantle their operations,” he said.
He also appealed to the NFIU to expand training opportunities for police personnel in financial investigations and the tracking of illicit financial transactions, adding that continuous capacity building is essential as new officers join the Force.
Disu paid tribute to police personnel serving across the country, describing policing as a demanding round-the-clock responsibility that often goes unnoticed.
Speaking earlier, NFIU Chief Executive Officer Hafsat Bakari commended the Nigeria Police Force for its contributions to the successful implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan, which led to Nigeria’s removal from the FATF Grey List.
She praised the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police and officers of the Force for their professionalism and active participation during the FATF assessment process.
Bakari described the Police as a key institution in detecting, investigating and prosecuting financially motivated crimes, including terrorism financing, corruption, kidnapping, cybercrime, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, illegal mining and arms trafficking.
She stressed that financial intelligence has become central to combating organised crime and called for stronger collaboration between the NFIU and the Police to deny criminal groups access to the financial resources that sustain their activities.
According to her, a recent stocktaking exercise within the Police identified significant institutional strengths while highlighting areas requiring improvement ahead of Nigeria’s forthcoming mutual evaluation.
She advocated institutionalising anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and financial intelligence knowledge across all levels of policing, while improving data collection and the operational use of financial intelligence.
Bakari assured the Police of the NFIU’s continued support through intelligence sharing, strategic analysis, operational assistance, specialised training and collaboration with international partners across more than 130 jurisdictions.
She expressed confidence that the enduring partnership between both institutions would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to investigate, prosecute and disrupt illicit financial activities while reinforcing the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
The visit underscored the shared resolve of both agencies to leverage financial intelligence in combating organised crime and enhancing national security.
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