The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, on Tuesday directed police formations nationwide to channel all cases involving terrorism, banditry and crude oil theft to specialised units with the capacity to trace illicit financial flows.
The directive marks a strategic shift aimed at disrupting the financial networks that sustain violent criminals and economic saboteurs.
Disu said following the money trail remains the most effective tool in combating organised crime, noting that tracking financial transactions could help solve at least 50 per cent of complex criminal cases across the country. 
The IGP spoke at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during a working visit by the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hafsat Bakari.
He stressed that the evolving nature of global crime demands stronger collaboration and a more robust financial surveillance framework to detect and dismantle criminal networks.
Disu highlighted the fast-paced nature of modern financial crime, noting that laundered proceeds now move across international borders within seconds through sophisticated schemes.
He said; “It has to do with following monies, especially monies that have to do with one crime or the other. The dynamics of crime are changing daily everywhere in the world, and within seconds, monies are moving across the continent, monies that have to be laundered, monies that a lot of people want to clean through different deceits”.
He noted that tracking proceeds from terrorism, banditry, and the theft of crude oil would drastically curtail criminal networks operating within the country, adding that: “Following their proceeds will assist to bring down crime to nothing less than 50 per cent. Following the money, a lot of their crimes will be solved”.
To institutionalize this approach, the IGP announced that the Force has established a dedicated Proceeds of Crime Section, headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police with vast expertise in financial crime investigations.
The specialized unit is designed to bolster the nation’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) frameworks, while enhancing the Police Force’s standing within the global anti-money laundering architecture.
Disu assured the NFIU delegation that with a dedicated team now in place, operational coordination between both institutions will be significantly streamlined.
He also called for expanded joint training programs to upscale the technical capabilities of young officers entering the Force.
The police boss said; “Financial intelligence is a necessity. We need to collaborate more and share intelligence because of the security situation in the country today”.
The IGP expressed appreciation to the NFIU boss for acknowledging the sacrifices of police personnel and recognizing the efforts of the Force in supporting national measures to remove Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
He noted that words of encouragement and condolences for officers who lost their lives or suffered injuries in the line of duty served as a vital morale booster for a Force that operates on a round-the-clock mandate.
Earlier, the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Hafsat Bakari, commended the Police leadership for its crucial role in helping Nigeria successfully clear its FATF action plan, an achievement that facilitated the country’s exit from the global financial watchdog’s grey list.
She emphasized that as the country’s primary law enforcement body, the Police Force remains a critical first responder and a pivotal actor in tracking, prosecuting, and disrupting the financial dimensions of crime.
Bakari said; “Whether the predicate offense is terrorism, kidnapping, cybercrime, human trafficking, narcotics, corruption, or illegal mining, financial intelligence has increasingly become the thread that connects criminal conduct to those who profit from it. Following the money often reveals the network, the facilitators, the beneficiaries, and the command structures behind criminal enterprises”.
Highlighting the upcoming 2027 third-round mutual evaluation by the FATF, the NFIU boss noted that the assessment will look beyond statutory provisions to evaluate practical effectiveness across law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
She disclosed that a recent joint stocktaking exercise across police commands nationwide highlighted key areas for development, particularly the need to institutionalize financial intelligence, enhance risk-based investigations, and improve asset tracking and confiscation protocols.
Bakari assured the Inspector-General of Police of the NFIU’s continued support through intelligence sharing, capacity building, typology studies, and operational coordination across the 186 Financial Intelligence Units globally under the Egmont Group framework.
She also expressed condolences to the Nigeria Police Force for the loss of gallant officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, praying for the speedy recovery of those injured.
The meeting was attended by the top management team, senior police officers, alongside top management staff and legal advisors from the NFIU.
