Police Academy, UN Office Launch Master’s Programme On Counter-Terrorism Investigation

The Nigeria Police Academy (POLAC), Wudil, Kano State, has partnered with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) to establish a new Master’s Degree Programme in Counter-Terrorism Investigation aimed at strengthening the capacity of security personnel in tackling emerging security threats.

The initiative, according to a statement issued by the Academy’s spokesperson, DSP Umar Musa Isah, is designed to equip law enforcement officers with advanced knowledge, skills and modern investigative techniques required to combat terrorism and related crimes.

The statement disclosed that a four-day workshop is currently ongoing at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, where experts from the academy and UNOCT are developing the roadmap and curriculum for the new programme.

It added that the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Department of Training and Development (DTD) hosted a reception in Abuja to welcome the visiting UN delegation working on the initiative.

The delegation includes global counter-terrorism experts, Jaskiran Kaur Sandhu and Carlos Alexandre Monteiro Reis, who arrived from Morocco to support the development of the academic programme. The team is also expected to meet with the Inspector General of Police during their visit.

The Commandant of the Nigeria Police Academy, AIG Patrick A. Atayero, alongside the institution’s academic and professional staff, including Prof. Abdullahi Hassan Goron Dutse, ACP Favour G. Fadawa, PhD, ASP Shide Sunday, PhD, and ASP Benjamin Wager, PhD, are collaborating with the UN experts to design the curriculum.

According to the statement, the partnership seeks to adapt global best practices in counter-terrorism investigation to address the practical security challenges confronting Nigeria.

The Academy noted that the programme would bridge the gap between academic research and operational policing by providing officers with specialised training capable of improving intelligence gathering, investigation and response strategies.