The Nigeria Police Force has highlighted the impact of international cooperation in tackling transnational crime as the world marks the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation.
The force said Monday that its INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Nigeria had strengthened the country’s fight against cross-border crime through sustained intelligence sharing and cooperation with law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Between Sept. 7, 2025, and August 2026, the cooperation contributed to the arrest of more than 10 fugitives, completion of at least five international extraditions and handovers, and the rescue of more than 60 trafficking and kidnapping victims.
The police also said the efforts resulted in the permanent forfeiture of criminal assets worth more than ₦2 billion, the investigation of more than 43 financial crime cases and the receipt of at least 15 cybercrime referrals from INTERPOL partner countries.
The force said the operations helped locate fugitives across borders, disrupt trafficking and kidnapping networks, rescue victims and advance complex financial and cybercrime investigations through coordinated action across five continents.
The police cited the arrest of Victor Benjamin Fejemirokum, a murder suspect wanted over the abduction and killing of an FRSC officer and her daughter in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to the force, Fejemirokum was traced to Ghana after investigators followed his movements through a viral social media video. He was subsequently arrested by the Ghana Police Service and repatriated to Nigeria.
The cooperation also facilitated the arrest of Mark Sunny Okoh, a Brazilian national wanted in connection with cocaine trafficking.
Police said Okoh fled Brazil after jumping bail but was later arrested in Okota, Lagos, following international coordination. Extradition proceedings to Brazil have since been initiated.
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu reaffirmed the force’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with INTERPOL and other international law enforcement agencies.
Disu said effective information sharing, coordinated investigations, capacity building and cross-border operational support were essential to addressing emerging security threats and preventing criminals from exploiting jurisdictional boundaries to evade justice.
The police said international cooperation remained critical to modern policing as criminal networks increasingly operate across borders, including through online fraud, trafficking, organised crime and cybercrime.
The force said the results demonstrate the impact of police cooperation without borders by connecting intelligence, strengthening partnerships and reducing the ability of criminals to find safe havens across jurisdictions.
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