Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has joined police organisations around the world in marking the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation, highlighting the importance of international law enforcement collaboration in confronting transnational crime, protecting vulnerable persons and strengthening public safety.
This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, CSP Anietie Iniedu.
The statement said the bservance underscored the reality that modern criminal networks operate across borders, with online fraudsters targeting victims from different jurisdictions and organised crime groups moving people, illicit goods and proceeds across countries.
It added that: ” Effective policing therefore requires sustained cooperation, timely intelligence sharing and coordinated action among law enforcement agencies.
“For Nigeria, international police cooperation continues to deliver practical results through the identification and location of victims, recovery of stolen property, tracking of fugitives, disruption of organised criminal networks and combating of cyber-enabled crime.
“In the year under review, collaboration with international law enforcement partners contributed to the arrest of Victor Benjamin Fejemirokum, a murder fugitive wanted in connection with the abduction and murder of an FRSC officer and her daughter in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Following efforts to trace his movements through a viral social media video, he was located in Ghana and arrested by the Ghana Police Service, leading to his subsequent repatriation to Nigeria.
“The cooperation also facilitated the arrest of Mark Sunny Okoh, a Brazilian national wanted in connection with cocaine trafficking, who fled Brazil after jumping bail. He was arrested at Okota, Lagos, following international coordination, with extradition proceedings to Brazil subsequently initiated. Such collaboration strengthens the ability of law enforcement agencies to pursue fugitives across jurisdictions and ensures that victims and affected communities are not denied justice by international borders.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to deepening cooperation with INTERPOL and other international law enforcement partners.
IGP Disu noted that effective information sharing, coordinated investigations, capacity building and cross-border operational support are essential to confronting emerging security threats and ensuring that criminals cannot exploit jurisdictional boundaries to evade justice.
He said: “The Nigeria Police Force recognises that international police cooperation is an essential component of modern policing and will continue to strengthen partnerships that enhance intelligence-led policing, support investigations, protect communities and improve the collective capacity of law enforcement agencies to respond to transnational crime.
“As the international community marks the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation, the Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its commitment to working with partners at home and abroad to protect lives and property, support victims and build safer communities.
