By MONDAY IJEH

The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Olukayode Egbetokun, on Thursday said the Police had partnered with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to curb money laundering and terrorism financing in the country.

Egbetokun said this in Abuja at a meeting with Strategic Police Managers, consisting of officers from the rank of Commissioners of Police and above.

He said the Nigeria police force had a crucial role to play in combating money laundering and terrorism financing in the country.

“To strengthen our capabilities and demonstrate our commitment to combating financial crimes, we have established dedicated Anti-Money Laundering (AML) section at the Force Criminal Investigation Department,” he said.

He said that establishment of the section would be replicated at all Zonal and State Commands nationwide.

Egbetokun said the unit would enhance the capacity of the force to tackle the menace as well as investigate and prosecute financial crimes and terrorism financing.

“By working together, we will improve our investigations, prosecutions, and ultimately, convict perpetrators.

“I urge you all to embrace this initiative at your various duty posts, by assisting the take-off of the section,” he said.

Egbetokun said the country had over the past 12 months, faced significant challenges of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery.

He said the force had remained resilient and steadfast in its mandate despite the threats.

The I-G commended the senior officers for their dedication and hard work through exemplary performance across various duty stations.

“Our efforts to grow capacity, improve services and strengthen relationships with sister services and the public have yielded positive results in our fight against crime nationwide.

“This milestone provides us an opportunity to reflect on our achievements, acknowledge the challenges and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring safety and security of Nigerians.

“Today, we will evaluate our internal security operations and activities over the past year, highlighting significant achievements and addressing the major challenges faced.

“We will also deliberate on security plans to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in achieving smooth gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo State later this year,” he said. (NAN)

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