The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Riliwan Disu, has reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to deepening its anti-money laundering partnership with the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against financial crimes, terrorism financing and other transnational offences.

Disu gave the assurance on Tuesday while receiving the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hajia Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, and her delegation on a courtesy visit to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting centred on expanding operational cooperation between both agencies through improved intelligence sharing, enhanced investigations and stronger institutional collaboration ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Mutual Evaluation.

Speaking during the visit, Bakari described the relationship between the NFIU and the Police as critical to Nigeria’s security framework, noting that the country’s performance during the 2027 Mutual Evaluation would largely depend on how effectively law enforcement agencies utilise financial intelligence to investigate and prosecute money laundering and terrorism financing cases.

She commended the Inspector-General for approving a joint stock-taking exercise between both institutions and advocated broader implementation of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) awareness programmes across police commands and formations nationwide.

According to her, building strong institutions rather than relying on isolated successes would better position Nigeria in the forthcoming international assessment.

Bakari also expressed condolences to the Nigeria Police Force over officers who lost their lives in the line of duty and reiterated the NFIU’s readiness to support the Force in strengthening its operational capacity.

Responding, the IGP stressed the importance of a more robust partnership between the two agencies, describing financial crimes as increasingly sophisticated and requiring sustained collaboration, intelligence-led policing and specialised expertise.

He highlighted the role of the Police’s specialised Anti-Money Laundering Unit and other operational divisions in investigating financial crimes, terrorism financing, banditry and transnational criminal networks.

Disu further appealed to the NFIU to sustain advanced capacity-building programmes for specialised investigators and ensure continued access to actionable financial intelligence and modern investigative tools to improve investigations and secure more successful prosecutions.

The meeting ended with both agencies reaffirming their commitment to deepening cooperation aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s financial crime enforcement framework, enhancing national security and improving the country’s anti-money laundering efforts.