The Nigeria Immigration Service has prevented 332 migrants from entering Nigeria at the Seme Border after they failed to present valid travel documents.
This was disclosed by the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs. Kemi Nandap, on Tuesday in Abuja during a one-day stakeholder sensitisation event titled, “Evolving Patterns in Smuggling of Migrants: Towards a Coordinated National Response.”
Nandap highlighted the service’s recent operational achievements, noting that the NIS has actively strengthened its legal and institutional frameworks while simultaneously expanding training programmes to significantly improve officers’ capacity to detect and prevent smuggling activities.
The Immigration boss provided specific figures on their enforcement actions, saying, “Recently, the border patrol at Seme denied entry to 332 migrants without valid travel documents. In addition, 294 Nigerians, suspected of attempting irregular migration under the ‘Japa Syndrome’, were stopped from leaving the country.”
She further detailed that 36 victims of human trafficking and child labour were successfully rescued at the border, attributing these successes, in part, to the installation of new CCTV cameras in strategic locations.
The Immigration chief gave assurances that the NIS will maintain its collaboration with international and regional partners, which include the AU, ECOWAS, EU, IOM, UNODC, INTERPOL, and the Federal German Police, in a continuous effort to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint operations.
Stressing the moral imperative of this fight, Nandap stated, “The fight against the smuggling of migrants is not only a security imperative but also a moral responsibility. Every smuggled migrant represents a life at risk and a family disrupted.”
She urged government agencies, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector to sustain their collaboration, emphasising that no single institution is capable of tackling migrant smuggling alone.
She concluded by advocating for collective action: “Our success depends on acting as one national front guided by protection, accountability, and human dignity. Together, we can build a Nigeria where safe and regular migration becomes the norm.”
