The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammadu Dingyadi has commissioned the West African Information System (WAPIS) Data Collection and Recording Centre (DACORE) to enhance the capacity of West African law enforcement authorities to combat transnational crime and terrorism through more efficient information sharing.
A press statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, Ministry of Police Affairs, Bolaji Kazeem, Wednesday in Abuja, read in part, “The WAPIS Data Collection and Recording Centre (DACORE) was inaugurated today by the minister at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“The minister said that the WAPIS Data Collection and Recording Centre would promote inter-agency collaboration through the sharing of criminal and administrative data that will help improve and strengthen the security architecture of the country, West Africa region and the world at large.
“He recalled the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on April 16, 2019, noting that many strides have been made in its implementation. The Minister stressed that the programme has enabled INTERPOL to further build capacity among law enforcement agencies across the country and will help in tackling crimes.
In his words: “The MOU provided for the setting up of the WAPIS National Committee (WANACO) to include relevant law enforcement agencies as members. It also provides for the establishment of a Data Collection and Recording Centre.”
He said Dingyadi pointed out that the centre would enable the collation and analysis of criminal information and will be the hub for the collation of information on criminal proceeding from the various law enforcement agencies.
According to the spokesperson, the Minister expressed sincere gratitude to the key players of the project- INTERPOL, ECOWAS and European Union whose funding made it possible for a member countries to benefit from the remarkable programme aimed at combating crime.
He reiterated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to fight against all crimes and efforts to sustain peace in the country, adding that the government was determined to provide the needed facilities for the Police to assist them to fight against all the crimes bedevilling the country.
Dingyadi reminded the WAPIS team of the need to allocate more equipment because of the volume of data intended to be harnessed because of the size and population of the country, just as he urged stakeholders to host the second hub at the INTERPOL Annex office in Lagos.
