The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has called on all law enforcement agencies to enhance interagency collaboration, emphasizing the need for robust information-sharing to address criminal activities across Nigeria.
This appeal was made during a three-day workshop on Interagency Collaboration, themed *”Interagency Collaboration Among Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria,”* held at the REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja’s Central Business District.
Senator Gaidam highlighted that since assuming office in August 2023, he noticed significant gaps in cooperation among law enforcement bodies, which largely operate independently, especially in terms of information sharing. He stressed the importance of accelerating efforts and employing the necessary political will to reform Nigeria’s security architecture, aiming for a more unified approach to curbing crime.
“With the country’s rising security challenges and threats, there is no better time than now to build on strengthening inter-agency collaboration through the sharing of vital intelligence and classified information to curb the menace,” he said.
He added that the workshop focuses on achieving one of the deliverables vested in the Ministry of Police Affairs, MPA, by Mr President on tackling the security challenges being faced in the country.
Gaidam opined that the West African Police Information System, WAPIS, is a technological tool that embodies the commitment to regional integration and cooperation enabling police forces across West Africa to share Intelligence and collaborate seamlessly.
According to him, “It empowers the police force to act swiftly and decisively against criminal activities. I strongly believe that if a similar system like WAPIS is deployed among law enforcement agencies in Nigeria, it will go a long way in curbing internal security challenges.
Earlier, the Inspector General of Police IGP Olukayode Egbetokun represented by Deputy Inspector General, (Intelligence), DIG Dasuki Galadachi averred that criminals have increasingly grown in sophistication and are constantly Collaboratory and networking and there is the need to match their level of advancement and innovation in order to stay ahead.
According to him, “As we gather in this collaborative spirit, we must be mindful that our collective efforts are vital to tackling the complex security challenges we face today as a people with common interest”.
