IGP hosts ECOWAS Police chiefs on trans-border crimes

The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, will be hosting West African Police and Security Chiefs between 14^th and 16^th May 2019 under the auspices of WAPCCO in Abuja to deliberate on rising insecurity and other crimes in the sub-region. The Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja​,DCP Frank Mba, in a statement noted that the meeting is part of ongoing efforts at galvanizing multinational efforts towards finding a lasting solution to transnational crimes, especially terrorism, violent extremism, kidnapping, illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons, human trafficking, maritime security, herders and farmers’ conflict amongst others.

Mba highlighted that the event, which will have in attendance the INTERPOL Secretary General, representatives of African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), members of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa and representatives from Committee of Chiefs of Police from Central Africa, among other key Security Stakeholders, will present very importantly, an opportunity for all Security Chiefs across West Africa to re- commit themselves to collaborate more effectively towards tackling trans-border crimes and other regional security threats in an increasingly globalized world.

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He explained that the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) is a structure under ECOWAS designed to bring together Heads of Police of ECOWAS Member States to exchange and share intelligence and collaborate with one another in the fight against criminality and Security threats in West Africa.

WAPCCO’s areas of interest include the tackling of illicit trade on drugs, enforcement of immigration laws, policing of marine space, customs activities, and financial intelligence amongst others.