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Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam
The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, on Tuesday, said he observed that law enforcement agencies do not share information among themselves.
Gaidam said each agency tends to operate independently in this regard rather than collaborating with one another.
The PUNCH reports that law enforcement agencies include the Nigeria Police Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services, among others.
Speaking at a workshop aimed at fostering inter-agency collaboration on information sharing among law enforcement agencies, the minister warned that with the insecurity affecting many parts of the country, these agencies must abandon the independent approach and prioritise sharing classified information and intelligence to effectively combat insecurity.
Gaidam said, “On assumption of Office in August 2023, I observed that there was no adequate collaboration among the law enforcement agencies as they all operate independently in the area of information sharing.
“There is an urgent need for all law enforcement agencies to synergise on the future of our security architecture with all the required speed and political will.
“With the rising security challenges and threats in the country, there is no better time than now to build on strengthening inter-agency collaboration through sharing of vital intelligence and classified information to curb the menace.”
He called for a system like that of the West African Police Information System in Nigeria.
According to him, WAPIS is a technological tool which enables police forces across West Africa to share Intelligence and collaborate seamlessly.
“I strongly believe that if a similar system like WAPIS is deployed among the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria, it will go a long way in curbing internal security challenges, ” he added.
Speaking, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Ebgbetokun called for more collaboration among the law enforcement agencies.
Represented by DIG Dasuki Galadanchi, the IG said information sharing among law enforcement agencies would help to quickly identify threat patterns.
Egbetokun said, “The importance of information sharing among security agencies cannot be overemphasised as it is a very crucial aspect of our collective efforts to combat crime and ensure public safety.
“Effective information sharing is the lifeblood of our efforts to prevent, investigate, and prosecute crimes. It enables us to identify patterns and anticipate potential threats. ”
He noted that law enforcement agencies must trust one another to have improved information sharing.
He said, “To improve our information-sharing capabilities, we must recognize that information-sharing is a two-way street. We must be willing to share our own information and also be open to receiving and acting on information from others. Second, we must establish strong partnerships and trust among our agencies, based on mutual respect and a common purpose.”
