Minister Seeks Inter-Agency Collaboration To Tackle Insecurity

Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam has stated that collaboration among security agencies will serve as a vital platform to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies in leveraging International Criminal Police Organisation’s (INTERPOL) tools to foster peace and security across the nation.

Senator Gaidam stated this at the workshop on the INTERPOL with the theme, “Strengthening Internal Security: A Path to a Safer Nigeria,” organised by the Ministry of Police Affairs in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and National Central Bureau (NCB).

The minister said he firmly believed that insights and outcomes from the workshop will be critical in addressing the pervasive insecurity that currently afflicts the society.

“We must acknowledge that for decades, our nation has grappled with the chronic issue of criminal victimisation, 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,” Gaidam said.

He said the erosion of safety in the country extends far beyond the direct consequences of crime; as “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.”

He further noted that INTERPOL is a prestigious organisation with a membership spanning 196 countries, actively engaged in combating terrorism, organised crimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cybercrime, among others.

Gaidam added that that the workshop is convened with the intent of exploring and understanding INTERPOL’s resources, to effectively integrate its tools into the nation’s internal, regional, and global security efforts.

He said by adopting methodologies akin to those employed by INTERPOL, Nigeria can significantly mitigate internal security challenges in view of the myriad security threats confronting the nation today “as it is imperative that we embrace international standards to safeguard lives, properties, and infrastructure, thereby fostering economic development and stability.”

Chairman, Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), noted that security has taken a new dimension in the 21st century, adding that the threats are no longer primarily coming from the conventional factors of the usual narrative.

Argungu added that the workshop is entirely INTERPOL-driven, assuring that NCB 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 organised crime and corruption.