By Odita Sunday
Cross-border police cooperation has enabled the arrest and repatriation of a murder fugitive in Ghana and the capture in Lagos of a Brazilian national wanted over cocaine trafficking, highlighting the growing role of international intelligence-sharing in Nigeria’s fight against transnational crime.
The Nigeria Police Force disclosed the developments on Monday as it joined police organisations worldwide to mark the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation, stressing that criminals can no longer be allowed to exploit international borders to evade justice.
One of the major successes involved the arrest of Victor Benjamin Fejemirokum, a murder fugitive wanted in connection with the abduction and murder of an FRSC officer and her daughter in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to the Force, efforts to trace Fejemirokum’s movements were aided by a viral social media video, which provided leads that eventually led investigators to Ghana.
He was subsequently arrested by the Ghana Police Service and repatriated to Nigeria.
In a separate case, international law enforcement cooperation facilitated the arrest at Okota, Lagos, of Mark Sunny Okoh, a Brazilian national wanted in connection with cocaine trafficking.
The Police said Okoh had fled Brazil after jumping bail but was subsequently located and arrested in Lagos following international coordination.
The Force said the two cases demonstrated the practical value of international police cooperation in tracking fugitives and disrupting criminal activities that cross national boundaries.
It added that such collaboration had also contributed to the identification and location of victims, recovery of stolen property, disruption of organised criminal networks and the fight against cyber-enabled crime.
The Police noted that the nature of contemporary crime had made international cooperation increasingly indispensable, with online fraudsters able to target victims across jurisdictions and organised criminal groups moving people, illicit goods and proceeds across countries.
It said effective policing therefore required sustained cooperation, timely intelligence-sharing and coordinated action among law enforcement agencies.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to deepening cooperation with INTERPOL and other international law enforcement partners.
Disu said effective information-sharing, coordinated investigations, capacity building and cross-border operational support were essential to confronting emerging security threats.
He stressed the need for stronger partnerships to ensure that criminals could not exploit jurisdictional boundaries to evade justice, while improving the collective capacity of law enforcement agencies to protect communities.
The Nigeria Police Force said international police cooperation remained an essential component of modern policing and pledged to strengthen partnerships that support intelligence-led operations, investigations and public safety.
As the international community marks the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation, the Force reaffirmed its commitment to working with partners at home and abroad to protect lives and property, support victims and build safer communities.
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