The Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening intelligence sharing and collaboration to track illicit financial flows, dismantle criminal networks and improve investigations into terrorism, kidnapping, cybercrime, corruption, human trafficking and other organised crimes.
The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the management of the NFIU, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, to the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Bakari said the visit was not merely a routine courtesy call but an opportunity to deepen a strategic partnership that was fundamental to Nigeria’s national security, economic stability and compliance with international anti money laundering and counter terrorism financing standards.
She described the Nigeria Police Force as one of the NFIU’s key partners, noting that the force plays a critical role in the detection, investigation and prosecution of financial crimes, as well as the disruption of the financial systems that sustain criminal activities.
According to her, financial intelligence has become an important tool in linking criminal conduct to the individuals, networks and beneficiaries behind illegal activities, including terrorism, kidnapping, cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, corruption, illegal mining, arms trafficking and organised crime.
Bakari said effective collaboration between the NFIU and the police was necessary to ensure that criminals were not only arrested but also deprived of the financial resources used to fund and sustain their operations.
She commended the police leadership and officers for their contributions to Nigeria’s engagement with the Financial Action Task Force, saying their support and expertise contributed to the successful implementation of the country’s action plan and Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list.
The NFIU chief said Nigeria was preparing for its third round Mutual Evaluation scheduled for 2027, explaining that the assessment would go beyond the existence of laws and institutions to examine the effectiveness of government agencies, the use of financial intelligence, the investigation and prosecution of money laundering and terrorism financing cases, and the identification and recovery of criminal assets.
She disclosed that a stocktaking exercise had recently been conducted across the Nigeria Police Force following the approval of the Inspector General of Police, adding that the exercise revealed significant institutional strengths while identifying areas requiring additional attention, particularly in improving knowledge of money laundering, terrorism financing, financial intelligence and asset recovery across police commands and formations.
Bakari said the evaluation would focus on institutional effectiveness rather than isolated achievements, stressing the need to strengthen the use of financial intelligence, improve data collection and statistics, and enhance asset tracing, freezing and confiscation through updated operational guidelines and standard procedures.
She added that criminals often leave financial footprints before physical evidence is discovered, noting that following the movement of money could expose criminal networks, facilitators, beneficiaries and the command structures behind organised crime.
She said the NFIU remained ready to support the police through intelligence sharing, strategic analysis, training, capacity development, operational support and cooperation with international partners.
Responding, the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, described financial intelligence as a necessity in modern law enforcement and called for deeper collaboration and improved intelligence sharing between the police and the NFIU.
He said the increasing complexity and speed of financial transactions made it necessary for security agencies to strengthen their ability to trace illicit funds and identify those behind criminal activities.
Disu said following the movement of money could assist investigations into terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, fraud and other crimes, adding that financial intelligence could help law enforcement agencies uncover criminal networks and solve a significant number of cases.
He assured the NFIU of the police force’s readiness to sustain the partnership, strengthen the capacity of officers in financial investigations and work closely with the agency to improve Nigeria’s fight against money laundering, terrorism financing and organised crime.
