The Federal Government has pledged to further strengthen Nigeria’s intelligence architecture and border security framework to dismantle organized human smuggling syndicates exploiting vulnerable migrants.
Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Mrs Kemi Nandap, made this known on Monday while flagging off the 2025 Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Week at the Service’s Headquarters.
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration in charge of Works and Logistics, Ada James Umanah, the CG said the Federal Government was intensifying a multi-layered response to emerging trends in migrant smuggling that pose serious risks to human life and national security.
Reaffirming the commitment of the Service, the Comptroller General said “the NIS would continue to deepen border security and intelligence capabilities, dismantle smuggling networks and prosecute offenders, protect migrants”—especially women and children—from exploitation, strengthen domestic and international partnerships, and uphold the dignity and human rights of migrants regardless of status.
Speaking on the theme, “Smuggling of Migrants: Emerging Trends, Realities and National Response,” Nandap said Nigeria, as a country of origin, transit and destination for migrants, could not afford to ignore the growing sophistication of smuggling networks that now rely heavily on digital platforms, encrypted communication, falsified documents and transnational criminal collaborations.
She warned that migrants were “increasingly exposed to grave dangers, including trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation, violence and death, particularly along irregular desert and sea routes”, noting that the activities of smugglers threaten border integrity, public safety and internal security.
According to her, the NIS, with the support of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has adopted a technology-driven and intelligence-led strategy to combat the menace.
She disclosed that the Service has “strengthened surveillance across land, sea and air borders through the deployment of a Command and Control Centre that mirrors nationwide operations, alongside the Migration Information and Data Analysis System, Advanced Passenger Information Systems, Passenger Name Records, e-gates at international airports and Huawei-powered e-border solutions installed at more than 144 border locations nationwide”.
Nandap added that Nigeria has continued to deepen cooperation with regional and international partners, including ECOWAS, the African Union, International Organization for Migration IOM, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ICMPD, FIIAPP and FRONTEX, to enhance capacity building, intelligence sharing, joint investigations and safe return programmes, while bilateral agreements with transit and destination countries have improved early warning systems and cross-border law enforcement.
She further disclosed that the Service has scaled up public sensitization to counter the false narratives used by smugglers to lure young Nigerians, revealing that more than 579,000 National Youth Service Corps NYSC members were sensitized this year alone, in addition to widespread outreach in border communities, schools, transport unions and youth associations across the country.
