The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has denied entry to 332 migrants at the Seme Border for failing to present valid travel documents.
Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mrs Kemi Nandap, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation on “Evolving Patterns in Smuggling of Migrants: Towards a Coordinated National Response.”
Nandap highlighted the Service’s recent achievements, noting that the NIS had strengthened its legal and institutional frameworks while expanding training programmes to enhance officers’ capacity to detect and prevent smuggling activities.
“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 said.
She added that 36 victims of human trafficking and child labour were rescued at the border — successes made possible through the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic locations.
The Immigration chief reaffirmed the NIS’s commitment to partnering with international and regional bodies, including the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, European Union (EU), International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNODC, INTERPOL, and the Federal German Police, to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint operations.
“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,” Nandap stated.
She urged continued collaboration among government agencies, international organisations, civil society groups, and the private sector, stressing that no single institution could tackle migrant smuggling alone.
“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,” she added.
