IGP calls for global collaboration to tackle cattle rustling



Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has urged international partners to intensify cooperation in tackling the rising menace of cattle rustling and the growing threats posed by chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) materials across Africa.

Speaking at the 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Egbetokun stressed that these emerging challenges cannot be addressed in isolation, warning that their implications for regional peace and stability are severe.

The police chief expressed deep concern over the transformation of cattle rustling in West Africa from a rural nuisance into a sophisticated criminal enterprise that now funds terrorism, sustains armed groups and feeds into cross-border criminal networks.

In a statement by the Forces, IGP explained that the situation has evolved beyond livestock theft, pointing to its links with terrorism financing and organised crime.

Egbetokun also underscored the dangerous intersection between cattle rustling and CBRNE threats, noting the growing risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks such as anthrax and brucellosis, the exploitation of existing smuggling routes for trafficking radiological materials, and the diversion of proceeds from livestock theft to the production of improvised explosive devices.

According to him, these developments have intensified insecurity and complicated conflicts in fragile regions.

He proposed a comprehensive strategy centred on intelligence sharing, reforms in livestock mastrengthened, strengthened anti-money laundering frameworks, enhanced border cooperation, deeper community engagement, and improved preparedness for CBRNE emergencies.

The IGP emphasised that securing Africa’s livestock trade, protecting rural populations and preventing extremists from exploiting vulnerabilities will only be possible through a continent-wide and global alliance.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Inspector-General of Police held talks with Ahmed Al-Raisi, INTERPOL President, and Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General, on strengthening border security, expanding access to INTERPOL’s global policing databases, enhancing real-time information exchange and building institutional capacity to confront terrorism financing.

Egbetokun also met with a Brazilian delegation led by De Souza Rinaldo and Dos Reis Guedes Ferreira Alvares Andrea.

Both parties pledged to expand Nigeria–Brazil police cooperation through improved intelligence sharing, collaborative efforts to tackle organised crime, and capacity-building initiatives for CBRNE threat mitigation.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s leadership role in regional security, the IGP pledged that the country would continue to share best practices, provide strong support for international policing efforts and work hand-in-hand with global partners to promote peace, stability and resilience across Africa and beyond.

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