The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has secured an offer from Italian law enforcement authorities to provide specialised training for up to 5,000 Nigeria Police Force personnel as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to terrorism, kidnapping and other security threats.
The proposed training, which emerged from Disu’s working visit to Italy, will focus primarily on counter-insurgency operations and policing in difficult rural and forested terrain.
The initiative forms part of a broader trilateral cooperation framework involving Nigeria, the United States and Italy, aimed at strengthening internal security through specialised training, intelligence-led operations, technology transfer and institutional development.
According to a statement, the proposed training will cover tactical operations, intelligence-led patrols, critical infrastructure protection, digital and scientific forensics, cybercrime, explosives detection, financial investigations, asset tracing and anti-extortion techniques.
The programme is expected to extend beyond the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to other specialised units, including explosive ordnance disposal and forensic teams.
During the visit, Disu met with the Commander General of the Italian Carabinieri, Lieutenant-General Salvatore Luongo, to discuss opportunities for technical assistance, training and institutional cooperation between the two police institutions.
The Nigerian delegation also visited the Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza, where it assessed training facilities and explored ways of adapting specialised programmes to Nigeria’s security challenges.
Among the proposals discussed were command courses for 40 senior police officers, leadership training for 100 junior commanders and the deployment of a mobile assistance team to support Police Mobile Force training schools in Gwoza and Ila-Orangun.
The delegation also sought Italian support for the development of a national stability policing doctrine and standard operating procedures to promote operational consistency, professional standards and civilian protection, particularly in communities recovering from conflict.
Other areas of proposed cooperation include canine operations, forensic science and mounted policing, with discussions covering horse breeding and the development of local capacity for public order management and other appropriate police duties.
To formalise the proposed partnership, Disu proposed 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 practical arrangements for implementing the initiatives.
The Inspector-General reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to international partnerships that would improve operational readiness, strengthen investigative capabilities and enhance the protection of lives and property.
The Nigeria Police Force said it would continue engaging relevant partners to advance the proposals in line with the country’s security priorities and its objective of building a more capable, professional and responsive police institution.
