The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) have renewed their partnership to strengthen the country’s fight against money laundering, terrorism financing and organised crime ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation.
The renewed collaboration was announced when the leadership of NFIU paid a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, described financial intelligence as a critical tool in modern policing, noting that criminals now move illicit funds across borders within seconds, making intelligence-led investigations more essential than ever.
He said targeting the proceeds of crime would significantly weaken criminal enterprises involved in terrorism, banditry, crude oil theft and other organised offences.
The IGP also disclosed that the Police had established a Proceeds of Crime Section headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police with expertise in financial crime.
Disu called for deeper collaboration with the NFIU through intelligence sharing, joint training and enhanced capacity building for officers handling money laundering and terrorism financing investigations.
Earlier, the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar-Bakari, commended the Nigeria Police Force for its contribution to Nigeria’s removal from the FATF Grey List in 2025.
She praised officers of the Police Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit for implementing reforms that helped the country meet international anti-money laundering standards.
Track up
Financial intelligence is emerging as one of Nigeria’s strongest weapons against organised crime, with security agencies shifting focus from arresting criminals to tracing and dismantling the financial networks that sustain terrorism, banditry, crude oil theft and other illicit activities.
