….Terrorist Financing
By Kingsley Omonobi
The Nigeria Police Force Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, in collaboration with the INTERPOL Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has commenced a four-day advanced regional workshop aimed at strengthening the fight against transnational financial crimes across Africa.
The workshop, which began on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Abuja, is focused on enhancing capacity and coordination among law enforcement agencies to tackle money laundering, terrorist financing, cyber-enabled fraud, cryptocurrency-related crimes, and illicit financial flows threatening economic stability and governance on the continent.
Speaking at the opening, Commissioner of Police in charge of INTERPOL, NCB Abuja, CP Ajo Godfrey Ordue, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, stressed the growing complexity of transnational financial crimes.
“In today’s increasingly interconnected world, transnational financial crimes—particularly those facilitated through cyberspace and digital assets—have grown in sophistication, scale, and impact,” he said.
Ordue noted that criminal networks are exploiting emerging technologies and jurisdictional gaps to target victims across borders, emphasizing that no single country can effectively combat such crimes alone.
He said the workshop provides a critical platform for enhancing technical capacity in financial and cybercrime investigations, strengthening inter-agency collaboration at national, regional, and global levels, and improving intelligence sharing and operational coordination.
The training also focuses on developing practical strategies to address emerging threats, including cryptocurrency-enabled crimes, online fraud, and money laundering.
Ordue reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force, through INTERPOL NCB Abuja, to supporting international cooperation, strengthening institutional capacity, and working closely with key national agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In his remarks, Kiyotaka Sekine, Crime Intelligence Officer at IFCACC, said the training is designed to go beyond theory by equipping participants with practical skills to trace illicit financial flows and deepen international cooperation.
He noted that Nigeria, as host, is reinforcing its commitment through agencies like the NFIU, EFCC, and the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that collaboration remains the most effective tool against evolving criminal networks.
Also speaking, JICA Senior Representative Yamamoto Tetsuya highlighted the cross-border nature of financial crimes, noting that no single institution can tackle the challenge alone.
He explained that participants would engage in intensive sessions covering key areas such as financial intelligence, technology-driven investigations, and asset recovery mechanisms. According to him, specialized INTERPOL tools, including the Silver Notice and advanced data-sharing systems, will be explored to help track and recover illicit assets.
Chief Operating Officer, Emerging Technologies and Innovation at the NFIU, Dr. Muhammad Jiya, described the workshop as a significant step in strengthening collective efforts against transnational financial crimes.
“The fight cannot be won in isolation; it requires integrating financial intelligence with global law enforcement systems,” he said.
The workshop has drawn policymakers, investigators, prosecutors, and financial intelligence experts from across the region, underscoring a shared resolve to evolve strategies in response to increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.
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