The Ghana Police Service and the Nigeria Police Force have reaffirmed their commitment to intensify joint efforts in combating human trafficking and related transnational crimes across West Africa.
This follows a high-level bilateral meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday, co-chaired by Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, and Deputy Inspector-General of Police Sadiq I. Abubakar of Nigeria.
The meeting brought together senior officials from law enforcement, immigration, intelligence, and diplomatic institutions of both countries. Discussions focused on:
- Emerging forms of human trafficking
- Links with cyber-related crimes
- Strengthening regional cooperation to address the growing number of victims
DIG Abubakar commended Ghana’s CID Director-General for her proactive role in proposing the meeting during the INTERPOL Africa Regional Conference in South Africa earlier this year. COP Donkor also expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s collaboration and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement actions.
Key Resolutions
The delegations agreed on the following measures:
- Establish a Joint Task Force (JTF) to handle cross-border trafficking cases.
- Appoint focal officers for real-time information exchange.
- Develop standard protocols for victim repatriation and referral.
- Launch joint awareness campaigns targeting youth and border communities.
- Convene a high-level meeting of West African Police Chiefs to harmonise regional strategies.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a communiqué reaffirming Ghana and Nigeria’s shared commitment to dismantle human trafficking networks, protect victims, and sustain bilateral dialogue under ECOWAS and INTERPOL frameworks.