By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has initiated moves to establish a trilateral security partnership between Nigeria, the United States and Italy to strengthen police capacity and improve the country’s response to emerging security threats.
The proposed partnership, which was discussed during Disu’s working visit to Italy, seeks to provide specialised training for up to 5,000 Nigerian police personnel in counter-insurgency operations, intelligence gathering, tactical response and other critical areas of law enforcement.
The initiative is designed to enhance the Nigeria Police Force’s capacity to combat terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other security challenges confronting the country.
Under the proposed arrangement, officers would receive specialised training in counter-insurgency operations and combat strategies suited to difficult rural and forested terrain.
Other areas of focus include digital and scientific forensics, cybercrime investigation, explosives detection, financial investigations, asset tracing and anti-extortion techniques.
During a meeting with the Commander General of the Italian Carabinieri, Lieutenant-General Salvatore Luongo, the police chief explored opportunities for technical assistance, technology transfer and institutional cooperation to improve policing standards in Nigeria.
The Nigerian delegation also visited the Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza, Italy, where discussions centred on strengthening leadership, operational effectiveness and professional training within the Nigeria Police Force.
Proposals considered during the visit included specialised command training for 40 senior officers and leadership development programmes for 100 junior commanders.
The discussions also covered the deployment of a mobile assistance team to support training programmes at Police Mobile Force schools in Gwoza, Borno State, and Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
In addition, both sides explored cooperation in developing Nigeria’s stability policing doctrine and operational procedures, strengthening forensic capabilities, and improving canine operations and mounted policing.
To facilitate the implementation of the proposals, Disu called for the development of a memorandum of understanding covering training, technology transfer and operational doctrine.
He also invited a Carabinieri assessment team to Abuja to identify the Nigeria Police Force’s priority needs and develop an implementation framework for the proposed partnership.
The initiative, if successfully implemented, is expected to improve police operational readiness, strengthen intelligence-led policing and enhance investigative capabilities in tackling complex security threats.
It is also expected to deepen international security cooperation and equip Nigerian police personnel with specialised skills and modern techniques to improve public safety and the protection of lives and property.
