Tag: Interpol

Commissioner of Police (CP), Olubode Ijajuni, has emerged victorious in the keenly contested election for membership of the INTERPOL Africa Committee.

The election, held during the 27th African Regional Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, secured for Nigeria the fifth seat on the Committee with a tenure of two years.

A statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said, “The Nigeria Police Force has recorded another significant milestone on the international stage as Commissioner of Police Olubode Ojajuni emerged victorious in the keenly contested election for membership of the INTERPOL Africa Committee. 

The election, held during the 27th African Regional Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, secured for Nigeria the fifth seat on the Committee with a tenure of two years.

Read Also: Nigeria nabs, hands over watch-listed foreigners to Interpol

“The INTERPOL Africa Committee is vested with the responsibility of advising the African Regional Conference in the execution of its mandate, facilitating its sessions, and identifying strategic crime priorities. It also strengthens police cooperation across borders, advances best practices, and develops projects aimed at enhancing regional and continental security.

“This achievement reflects Nigeria’s growing influence and leadership in global law enforcement matters, particularly in the fight against transnational crime, terrorism, and other emerging threats. With CP Olubode’s election, Nigeria will continue to play a critical role in shaping regional and global policing strategies under the INTERPOL framework.

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, while congratulating CP Ojajuni on the feat, reaffirms the commitment of the Nigeria Police to professionalism, integrity, and international cooperation, while pledging to sustain active engagement with global partners to promote peace and security worldwide.”

• e-visa processing begins May 1

Scores of foreigners on the watch list of Nigeria’s security agencies have been arrested and handed over to Interpol.

Their arrests were made possible by the integration of Nigeria’s Advanced Passenger Information System Solutions into Interpol solutions.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo  (SAN) and his Interior counterpart,  Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made this known at a joint meeting in Abuja yesterday.

  Keyamo and Tunji-Ojo, who did not give the number of the arrested foreigners, said there are ongoing collaborations and cooperation between the two ministries and key agencies like the Nigeria Immigration Service  (NIS)   Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure seamless movements of passengers in and out of the country.

The Interior minister  said: “In the last couple of weeks, so many people on the Interpol red list have been arrested in Nigeria at the point of entry via the Advanced Passenger Information System solution.

“These people, before the advent of this administration, would have found their way into Nigeria but because we decided to work together in the interest of the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President(Bola Ahmed Tinubu), today those guys have been arrested and handed over to Interpol.

‘’This is what we can achieve as a people when we collaborate and we decide to work in the interest of Nigeria.”

 Tunji-Ojo explained that part of the collaboration initiatives was the launch of e-Visa solutions aimed at removing all forms of bottlenecks encountered by travellers without compromising national security.

He said: “Today is another example of that kind of cooperation and collaboration, and this has to do with the introduction of the e-visa.

Read Also: Police partner INTERPOL to strengthen regional security, data sharing

    “This initiative has a very serious effect on our national security architecture. Before now, we’ve always had the exit and landing card manually, travellers had to fill out a paper form. But now the narrative has changed with the introduction of e-visa and automated exit and entry cards.’’ 

The minister added that automatic visa processing in Nigeria’s High Commissions and Embassies would begin on May 1.

His words: “Nigeria is a country of 230 million brilliant people and we have to lead in terms of technology and in view of that, we are automating the visa process and it takes effect from the 1st of May, 2025.

“So the landing and exit card will be filled online before you board and presented to airlines before you can be boarded. So the responsibility of coordinating and issuing regulations to the airline lies on the NCAA.

‘’This shows our commitment to the protection of our country, to border security, and to ensure that our sovereignty as a nation is well respected.

“Outside that, we will also be introducing some other measures to explain more explicitly. The e-Visa will make it easier for people to come into Nigeria while enhancing the security of our country.

  “The applications will be online. There is a centralised visa approval centre already at Immigration headquarters. Officers have been trained, well equipped, and solutions integrated into all criminal record systems in the world, the major ones in the world as well as Interpol. And of course, there will be better background checks in terms of people coming into Nigeria.

“We are also looking at removing bottlenecks and also making sure people can get visas to Nigeria without lobbying anybody to come into Nigeria. We want to open our borders without compromising national security for people to come and explore the beauty of the land called Nigeria.

“  Landing and exit cards are free. Nobody is paying for that. It’s just for our security and record management solution.”

On the amnesty period for people who may have visa issues, he said: “The programme starts on the 1st of May 2025, and we decided that there will be a three-month amnesty period for full enforcement. Implementation starts on the 1st of May but there will be amnesty so that all foreigners that have overstayed or people in breach of immigration laws can actually come out for regularisation and for them to present themselves at the immigration offices to be able to regularise.”

Keyamo, on his part, said: “What we are doing here today(yesterday) is a further testament to the determination of this government to foster cooperation between key ministries that have mandates that overlap.’’

The federal government revealed on Wednesday that several foreign nationals on Interpol’s watchlist have been arrested across the country and handed over to Interpol authorities. 

The arrests were made possible by Nigeria’s integration of its Advanced Passenger Information System with Interpol’s solutions.

Details of the individuals arrested, including the specific charges or identities of those on the Interpol red flags, were not disclosed. 

The announcement was made during a joint briefing in Abuja by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), and the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo.

According to the Ministers, the arrests were a result of ongoing collaboration between their Ministries and key agencies, including the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). 

The effort aims to facilitate smooth passenger movements while ensuring national security.

Additionally, the Ministers highlighted the launch of e-Visa solutions, designed to eliminate travel bottlenecks while maintaining security protocols.

Keyamo said: “What we are doing here today is a further testament to the determination of this government to foster cooperation between key ministries that have mandates that overlap.

 “Today is another example of that kind of cooperation and collaboration, and this has to do with the introduction of the e-visa”.

Giving more details on the initiative, Tunji-Ojo said: “This initiative has very serious effect on our national security architecture. Prior to now, we’ve always had the exit and landing card in a manual way, travellers had to fill a paper form. But now the narrative has changed with the introduction of e-visa and automated exit and entry cards.

“Nigeria is a country of 230 million brilliant people and we have to lead in terms of technology and in view of that, we are automating the visa process and it takes effect from the 1st of May, 2025.

Read Also: Police partner INTERPOL on regional security, data sharing

“So the landing and exit card will be filled online before you board and presented to airlines before you can be boarded. So that responsibility of coordinating and issuing regulation to the airline lies on the NCAA. This shows our commitment to the protection of our country, to border security, and to ensure that our sovereignty as a nation is well respected.

“Outside that, we will also be introducing some other measures to explain more explicitly. The e-Visa will make it easier for people to come into Nigeria while enhancing the security of our country.

He continued: “The applications will be online. There is a centralized visa approval center already at immigration headquarters. Officers have been trained, well equipped, and solution integrated to all criminal record systems in the world, the major ones in the world as well as Interpol. And of course, there will be better background check in terms of people coming into Nigeria.

“We are also looking at removing bottlenecks and also making sure people can get visas to Nigeria without lobbying anybody to come into Nigeria. We want to open our borders without compromising national security for people to come and explore the beauty of the land called Nigeria. 

“So, we have decided today that we will work together to ensure that there is only one interest that will be protected, and that is the Nigerian interest. And the NCAA and the NIS, have agreed that both of them will set up a mini-team to work together in terms of implementation framework and the regulation and protocols.

“The landing and exit cards are free. Nobody is paying for that. It’s just for the purpose of our security and record management solution. So the two agencies will work together, come up with a protocol, because this is not a responsibility that an agency can do alone”.

On amnesty period for people who may have visa issues, he said: “The program starts on the 1st of May 2025, and we decided that there will be three months amnesty period for the full enforcement. Implementation starts on the 1st of May but there will be amnesty so that all foreigners that have overstayed or people in breach of immigration laws can actually come out for regularization and for them to present themselves at the immigration offices to be able to regularize”.

On the arrest of those on Interpol watch list, the Interior Minister said: “In the last couple of weeks, so many people on Interpol red list have been arrested in Nigeria at the point of entry via the Advanced Passenger Information System solution 

“These people, before the advent of this administration, would have found their ways into Nigeria but because we decided to work together in the interest of the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President, today those guys have been arrested and handed over to Interpol. This is what we can achieve as a people when we collaborate and we decide to work in the interest of Nigeria.”

To enhance internal security and law enforcement capabilities, the Nigeria Police Force has partnered the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).

Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, who doubles as the Chairman of the West African Chiefs of Police Committee (WAPCCO), said this when he received  a delegation from INTERPOL led by Mr Cyril Gout, the Executive Director Police Services at the Force Headquarters Abuja.

The visit, Egbetokun said, is aimed at strengthening the cooperation between the Nigeria Police Force and notify the police of the handing over of the West African Police Information System (WAPIS).

The Ministry of Police Affairs took over the system from INTERPOL on behalf of the Nigerian Government, and the system is currently domiciled with the Nigeria Police Force.

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He said the WAPIS system is strategically designed to strengthen police information systems throughout the region by harmonizing data management practices, bolstering data collection efforts, and fostering enhanced information sharing among law enforcement agencies in the West African Sub-region and Nigeria.

According to a statement  by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi; “The Inspector-General of Police while recognizing the significant role of INTERPOL in international cooperation, a role crucial in tackling complex challenges around the globe, appreciated the efforts of INTERPOL and assures full cooperation and the implementation of the WAPIS programme in Nigeria and across the West African Region.

“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to leveraging all three levels of WAPIS to their maximum potential and remains confident that WAPIS will be a game-changer in Nigeria’s fight against crime”.

The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has arrested more than 300 people with links to one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks, Black Axe, and other affiliated groups.

The Black Axe is a secretive criminal network involved in trafficking, prostitution and killing operations around the world. However, cybercrime is the group’s largest source of revenue.

According to a release by the organisation, the operation tagged: “Operation Jackal III” has led to hundreds of arrests, the seizure of assets worth $3m, and the dismantling of multiple criminal networks around the world.

Operation Jackal III, which ran from 10 April to 3 July across 21 countries on five continents, targeted online financial fraud and the West African syndicates behind it.

Over 400 additional suspects were also identified, including the blocking of more than 720 bank accounts.

INTERPOL headquarters assist countries by facilitating intelligence exchange and the identification and apprehension of suspects.

Operation Jackal III mobilised police forces, financial intelligence units, asset recovery offices, and private sector partners in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cote D’Ivoire, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

President Bola Tinubu, in February 2024, pledged increased support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to increase its capacity to tackle digital offences.

Director of INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC) Isaac Oginni said, “The volume of financial fraud stemming from West Africa is alarming and increasing. This operation’s results underscore the critical need for international law enforcement collaboration to combat these extensive criminal networks.

Read Also: INTERPOL’s recent report amounts to chasing shadows – Group

“By identifying suspects, recovering illicit funds and putting some of West Africa’s most dangerous organized crime leaders behind bars, we are able to weaken their influence and reduce their capacity to harm communities around the world.”

A senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, stressed the significance of financial technology and cryptocurrency in aiding the operations of cybercrime syndicates which are renowned for multi-million dollar online scams.

He said, “They are very organised and very structured. These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies… A lot of fintech developments make it easy to illegally move money around the world.”

In Argentina, Operation Jackal III saw the dismantling of a Nigerian-led transnational criminal network following a five-year investigation. The Federal Police seized USD 1.2 million in ‘supernotes’ – high-quality counterfeit banknotes – arrested 72 suspects and froze approximately 100 bank accounts.

The network used money mules to open bank accounts worldwide and is now under investigation in over 40 countries for related money laundering activities. The suspects include citizens from Argentina, Colombia, Nigeria and Venezuela.
More than 160 fraud victims suffered significant financial losses, with some forced to sell their homes or take out large loans as a result.

Diego Verdun, Head of Argentina’s National Central Bureau, said: “Operation Jackal is a crucial step forward in combating West African online financial fraud and clearly demonstrates that cybercriminals cannot escape the watchful eye of INTERPOL’s 196 member countries – especially in Argentina.

“By following illegal money trails worldwide, INTERPOL and the global police community ensure that no matter where these criminals try to hide, they will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.”

In a separate case in Switzerland, it cracked down on West African organised crime syndicates operating nationwide, seizing cocaine, approximately EUR 45,000 in cash, and arresting multiple suspects.

Portuguese criminal police dismantled a Nigerian network involved in money mule recruitment, laundering funds from online financial fraud victims across Europe. More than 25 syndicate members were identified in the process.

Data from seized computers and phones revealed large transfers to Nigerian bank accounts, cryptocurrency transactions, and sophisticated money laundering operations.

The Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), Nigeria’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Ifeanyi Uche, has emerged as chairman of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL’s) African Heads of Cybercrime Units.

CP Uche emerged on Friday, May 3, after the 10th Africa Working Group meeting on cybercrime for heads of units held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel from April 29th to May 3.

While delivering his speech, the Commissioner of Police said: “Cybercrime poses a significant threat to our societies, economies, and security, and it is imperative that we work together to address this growing challenge. As chairman, I am committed to leading from the front, fostering the much-desired collaboration among our member units to enhance our collective ability to prevent and investigate cybercrimes effectively in Africa.

 “I consider this as a call to champion the enthronement of a new charter of technological renaissance and home-grown cybersecurity ethics in Africa and a paradigm shift from absolute dependence on external solutions to African-nurtured technological initiatives, adaptive to our socio-political ecosystem. This is achievable by harnessing and leveraging our inherent collective expertise, and resources through a common political will.

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He further stated: “We can make significant strides in combating cybercrime and creating a safer digital environment for all Africans. Together, we can stay ahead of the evolving threats posed by cybercriminals and protect our citizens from harm.

“With the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the emergence of Al and IOT, the undeniable reality is that global cyberspace is undergoing profound and rapid changes given the penetration of new technologies and growing interconnection of the system. Though this evolution offers opportunities for innovations, diversification, and cost optimization, it also carries with it increased exposure to new and devastating risks of imminent cyber-attacks. These attacks permeate and affect the entire global digital ecosystem equally with no exception to geographic belts hence we, but affects businesses of all sizes both in public and private sectors in all regions at a breakneck speed.”

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said: “Having over 120 participants across 54 African countries and beyond engaging for over five days is not only commendable but inspiring because it gives us hope and confidence in the safety of Africa’s digital space and the prosperity of our nations and citizens.

“As you are aware, cybersecurity has emerged as a critical issue, not just for Nigeria but for the entire African continent. The rapid advancement of technology has brought unprecedented opportunities for development and progress, but it has also exposed us to new risks and vulnerabilities. As we witness the increasing digitization of our economies and societies, it is important that we strengthen our cybersecurity frameworks to mitigate these risks effectively. Cybercrime is borderless, and this means that collaboration is not an option, but a must.”