The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted 294 Nigerians attempting to leave the country under suspicious circumstances and denied entry to 332 undocumented migrants at the Seme border in recent weeks.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation seminar titled “Evolving Patterns in Smuggling of Migrants: Towards a Coordinated National Response.”
She said the Service also rescued 36 victims of human trafficking and child labour at the border, adding that intensified border surveillance aided by newly installed CCTV cameras led to the interceptions.
“These are not annual statistics; they occurred within a short period, highlighting the scale of the problem we are dealing with,” Nandap stated.
The immigration boss said the rescued victims were mostly young Nigerians deceived by traffickers and smugglers with false promises of lucrative jobs abroad.
According to her, the CCTV technology recently installed at the Seme border post has strengthened the Service’s monitoring capacity and exposed new smuggling routes being exploited by syndicates.
“Our recent operations at the Seme Border have recorded significant success, particularly through the use of advanced surveillance systems that enable us to track illegal movements and rescue victims in real-time,” she said.
Nandap expressed concern about the increasing number of young Nigerians seeking to migrate through irregular channels, often risking their lives in the process.
“It is very disheartening when you see young people risking their lives because they feel the grass is greener on the other side,” she lamented.
She noted that many victims of trafficking and smuggling end up in exploitative labour conditions, prostitution, or slavery, adding that awareness and education remain key to reversing the trend.
‘Migrant Smuggling Now Transnational and Complex’
The Comptroller General described migrant smuggling as a growing global crisis that has evolved beyond local trafficking networks.
“Migrant smuggling has become more complex and transnational, fuelled by highly organised criminal groups operating across borders,” Nandap explained.
She stressed that the NIS, in partnership with local and international agencies, has intensified efforts to combat the menace through intelligence sharing, legal reforms, and collaborative enforcement.
Nandap said the NIS is working closely with stakeholders such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and other security agencies to curb irregular migration.
“The Service has adopted a multi-dimensional approach, strengthening legal and institutional frameworks, expanding public awareness campaigns, and enhancing inter-agency cooperation,” she said.
She urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to embrace legal migration pathways and warned that the NIS will continue to clamp down on traffickers, smugglers, and their collaborators across Nigeria’s borders.
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