Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Olatunji Disu has directed police commands nationwide to immediately transfer investigations involving terrorism financing, banditry and other financial crimes to specialised units, in a renewed effort to dismantle criminal networks by targeting their financial operations.
Disu announced the directive on Tuesday, July 28, during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
He said the changing nature of organized crime demands a stronger focus on financial intelligence, noting that illicit funds have become the engine driving terrorism, banditry, crude oil theft, money laundering and other organized crimes.
According to the IGP, following the money trail is often the fastest route to identifying criminal financiers, exposing collaborators and disrupting the networks behind violent crimes.
To strengthen that approach, he disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force has established a Proceeds of Crime Section, headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police with expertise in financial crime investigations.
The unit, he said, will coordinate investigations into terrorism financing, suspicious financial transactions and proceeds of crime, while reinforcing the Force’s role in Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
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Disu said all police formations have been instructed to refer such cases to the specialized section for expert investigation, intelligence analysis and asset tracing.
He also called for closer collaboration between the Police and the NFIU through intelligence sharing, joint investigations and specialized training for officers handling financial crime cases.
The directive underscores the Force’s growing emphasis on intelligence-led policing, a strategy aimed at crippling criminal organizations by cutting off the financial resources that sustain their operations.
Earlier, NFIU Chief Executive Officer, Hafsat Bakari, described the Nigeria Police Force as a key partner in Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts.
She said financial intelligence has become indispensable in investigating terrorism financing, kidnapping, cybercrime, corruption, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, illegal mining, arms trafficking and other organised crimes.
Bakari noted that tracking financial transactions helps investigators identify not only those who commit crimes but also the individuals and networks that finance and profit from them, reaffirming the NFIU’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Police in tackling organized crime.