Interpol Grants Anti-graft Agencies Access to Database Profile of Politically Exposed Persons
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
In a renewed determination to contain crime and criminalities in Nigeria, the International Police Organisation (Interpol) has granted the military, police, the Independent Corrupt and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), among others, access to its database to enable them to profile Politically Exposed Persons (PEP), money laundering and terror suspects.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), made this known at the end of a meeting by Heads of Nigerian Law Enforcement Agencies with top officials of Interpol in Lyon, France.
The Nigerian delegation to Interpol was made up of top officials of the National Central Bureau Abuja (NCBA), Nigeria Police, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) and the ICPC.
The highpoint of the meeting between the Nigerian delegation and Interpol was the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the international police and ICPC, NFIU, NAPTIP, NDLEA and EFCC which granted the law enforcement agencies access to the organisation’s databases.
The MoU stipulates that the agencies could issue notices or red alerts on high profile suspects which would be seen globally.
At the meeting, the ICPC boss discussed how the anti-corruption agency and the country could take advantage of the Interpol database in profiling suspects.
“The commission will develop the habit of issuing notices especially on high profile suspects. Such notices will be seen globally on PEPs in particular,” Prof. Owasanoye said.
A statement issued by ICPC said the chairman also disclosed that the commission would join the Global Focal Point Network coordinated by Interpol as part of measures to tighten the noose around corrupt and criminal persons.
The Interpol is expected to support the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria through strengthening of information sharing, utilisation of the organisation’s database of global suspects, and prevention of incursion and influx of migrant terrorist fighters into Nigeria.
The Interpol briefed the Nigerian delegation on Operation Gemini, a special project focusing on trans-border organised crime involving migration, human trafficking, drug trafficking corruption and financial crimes.
The international police also held special sessions with the delegation which were devoted to international and regional cooperation in law enforcement, operational methods of Interpol and strategies for data and informational sharing, Interpol policing capabilities, role of National Central Bureau (NCB) in Nigeria, and Nigeria border management strategies, integration of Nigeria Law Enforcement Databases with Interpol NCB.
Under the MoU signed with the Interpol, the Nigerian law enforcement agencies will have unrestricted access to global criminal databases.
It is expected that this fresh collaboration will boost the capacity of law enforcement agencies in Nigeria to fulfill their mandates.
