Nigeria Showcases INTERPOL Gains As UN Marks Police Cooperation Day
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has used the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation to highlight the growing importance of its collaboration with INTERPOL and other international law enforcement agencies in tracking fugitives and tackling transnational crime.
The Force stated on Monday that international police cooperation has become indispensable as criminals increasingly operate across borders, with recent collaborations helping Nigeria locate fugitives, recover stolen property, protect victims and disrupt organised and cyber-enabled criminal networks.
Among the successes highlighted was the arrest in Ghana of Victor Benjamin Fejemirokum, wanted in connection with the abduction and murder of an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps and her daughter in Abeokuta, Ogun State. His movements were traced after a viral social media video, leading to his arrest by the Ghana Police Service and subsequent repatriation to Nigeria.
The cooperation also facilitated the arrest in Okota, Lagos, of Mark Sunny Okoh, a Brazilian national wanted in connection with cocaine trafficking. Okoh had reportedly fled Brazil after jumping bail, while extradition proceedings were subsequently initiated following his arrest.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with INTERPOL and other international partners, stressing that intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations, capacity building and cross-border operational support are critical to ensuring criminals do not exploit jurisdictional boundaries to evade justice.
Marking the UN observance, the Nigeria Police Force said it would continue to deepen international partnerships that strengthen intelligence-led policing, support investigations and enhance collective efforts to protect lives and property. The Force stressed that effective police cooperation across borders remains essential to building safer communities in an increasingly interconnected world.
