By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) have renewed their partnership to strengthen the fight against money laundering, terrorism financing and organised crime as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation.
The renewed collaboration was announced on Tuesday during a strategic meeting between the leadership of both agencies at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, described financial intelligence as a critical tool in modern policing, stressing that tracking illicit financial flows is key to dismantling criminal networks.
He noted that criminals now move funds across borders within seconds, making intelligence-driven investigations more important than ever.
According to the IGP, targeting the proceeds of crime could significantly reduce criminal activities, including terrorism, banditry, crude oil theft and other forms of organised crime.
Disu disclosed that the Police have established a Proceeds of Crime Section, headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police with expertise in financial crime, to strengthen investigations into money laundering and terrorism financing.
He also called for deeper collaboration with the NFIU through intelligence sharing, joint training and greater capacity building for police personnel involved in financial crime investigations.
Earlier, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Abubakar-Bakari, commended the Nigeria Police Force for its vital 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 their role in implementing reforms that helped the country meet international standards.
Bakari explained that the 2027 FATF mutual evaluation would assess not just the existence of laws but the effectiveness of institutions in using financial intelligence, recovering criminal assets, prosecuting offenders and collaborating across agencies.
She urged police commands nationwide to deepen expertise in anti-money laundering investigations, strengthen asset tracing, improve data collection and adopt risk-based investigative approaches.
According to her, criminals often leave financial footprints long before physical evidence emerges, making financial intelligence an indispensable tool in exposing criminal networks and their financiers.
She reaffirmed the NFIU’s commitment to supporting the Police through intelligence sharing, operational support, strategic analysis, capacity building and collaboration with over 180 Financial Intelligence Units across the world under the Egmont Group.
Responding, IGP Disu thanked the NFIU for recognising the sacrifices of police officers, particularly those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, describing the gesture as a morale booster for the Force.
