Abuja — Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Ibrahim Lame has said Nigeria has over 1,133 Police personnel in international Peace Keeping operations in various parts of the world.

Addressing a meeting of the Interpol/United Nations Ministerial Meeting held in Singapore, Lame said due to the importance attached to global peace, Nigeria has procured equipment worth US $28 million to enhance the performance and capabilities of Nigeria Police Units on missions in Liberia, Sudan and Haiti.

While addressing the meeting, he reiterated Nigeria's readiness to deploy more resources towards international peace operations as well as develop and build partnerships and capacity to combat transnational and organised crimes.

Lame used the occasion to look at the role of the Nigeria Police in the United Nation (UN) Peace Support Operations; its capacity to achieve targeted roles through capacity building and the current deployment of officers and men of the police force to various missions.

According to him, "The result of various strategies and Police initiatives bolstered the capacity of the Nigerian Police International Peacekeeping capacity to the extent it is operating recently".

Listing the successes recorded through Nigeria's concerted efforts in international peace keeping, the Minister explained that "Nigeria ranks first in the UN peacekeeping female contributing countries rating; also ranks the sixth police contributing country (PCC) in the world; boasts of fifteen Nigeria Police Officers on United Nations appointments and have a strong reservoir of trained and equipped potential peacekeepers that could be mobilised and deployed or invited to attend UN SAT Test at short distance.

"Nigeria currently has deployed 1,133 officers and men on various Peacekeeping operations in Sudan (902); Liberia (151); East Timor (53) and Haiti (129 peacekeepers)".

The Minister expressed belief that capacity building among law enforcement agencies remained fundamental to effective and sustained peace operations, stressing that Nigeria is not lagging behind in this direction.

He also disclosed that "Nigeria has over time procured equipment worth US $28 million to enhance performance, improve the strength and capabilities of Nigeria Police Units on missions in Liberia, Sudan and Haiti".

One of the highlights of the meeting was the election of a Nigerian Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu as an Executive Committee member for Africa at the 78th session of the Interpol General Assembly Session.

Adamu is the Director, Peacekeeping Operations and Training of the Nigeria Police Force.