The Nigeria Police and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) have begun moves to strengthen collaboration in forensic accounting, financial crime investigation and fraud prevention, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, disclosed this on Friday, August 21, 2026, when he received the President and Chairman of Council of ICAN, Hajia Queensley Sofuratu Seghosime, mni, FCA, and her delegation at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The meeting, according to a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, and posted on X, focused on deepening professional collaboration between the Police and ICAN to enhance the investigation and prosecution of increasingly sophisticated financial and economic crimes.
Seghosime congratulated Disu on his appointment as Inspector-General of Police and commended his administration’s emphasis on accountability, modernisation and institutional reforms.
She said the growing sophistication of financial crimes required enhanced technical capacity among investigators, particularly in forensic accounting and financial investigation.
ICAN proposed structured training and certification programmes for Police investigators, specialised courses for detectives and opportunities for cadets of the Police Academy to obtain the Accounting Technician Scheme for West Africa (ATSWA) certification.
The two institutions also considered establishing a dedicated Police-ICAN response mechanism for high-profile financial fraud cases, with professional accountants providing technical support in investigation, evidence development and prosecution.
Disu welcomed the proposed partnership, stressing that modern policing increasingly required specialised expertise and strategic collaboration with professional institutions.
He also proposed a joint awareness campaign by the Police and ICAN to educate businesses, especially SMEs, on fraud prevention, early detection and sound financial management practices.
The IGP noted that preventing financial crimes before they occur was as important as investigating and prosecuting offenders, adding that greater awareness among business owners could help reduce vulnerabilities to fraud and other financial crimes.
The Nigeria Police Force, he said, would continue to strengthen its capacity to tackle financial and economic crimes through specialised training, professional partnerships and the deployment of modern investigative techniques.
The ICAN delegation included its Registrar/Chief Executive, Dr Lanre Olasunkanmi; Chairman, ICAN Abuja District, Mr Emeka Okoroeze; and Mr Adamu Yusuf, FCA.