The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has stopped 14 internationally flagged persons of interest from entering Nigeria, the Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said at the weekend.
Dr Tunji-Ojo said the development was a major breakthrough in the country’s fight against terrorism and cross-border crime.
The Minister disclosed this during the official unveiling of the Modernising Nigeria Immigration Service (MoNIS) Workforce Project.
The NIS career progression, training policy framework and gender mainstreaming policy were developed with the support of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
It was aimed at strengthening the NIS in key areas of its operation.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised that these accomplishments were achieved by the dedicated officers of the NIS who performed admirably without relying on assistance from other agencies.
He said the arrests were made possible by advanced technology, which allowed the service to track and review the profiles of individuals before they even arrived at Nigerian borders.
He said: “I am proud to say that the Nigerian Immigration Service is now doing business in an extraordinary way. From all indications, it is now positioned to compete with the best services in the world and defend the integrity of our nation.”
The minister acknowledged that illegal migration had long posed persistent challenges to the country and stressed the necessity of institutionalising strategies to combat the issue.
He said modernising the Nigeria Immigration Service is not just an option but a necessity for the nation’s security.
He emphasised that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is not merely about promises but about achieving real results through thoughtful resolutions and timely implementation.
He said the President is committed to driving meaningful reforms to automate and modernize the NIS, to secure Nigeria’s borders and combat all forms of insecurity.
“President Tinubu is ready to approve the necessary resources to resolve issues, and we are committed to making these reforms a reality,” he added.
Tunji-Ojo expressed optimism about the future of the NIS, stating that the days of overlooking qualified individuals with immense potential to contribute to the service are over.
“Once fully modernised and automated, the NIS will ensure a safer border and a more secure nation.
“We are dealing with evolving patterns of crime, driven by advanced technologies and methodologies employed by smugglers, traffickers, and other criminals.
“We must stay ahead of them, as they continue to innovate. Allowing criminals to be one step ahead of the state will lead to chaos and destruction,” Tunji-Ojo warned.
In her speech, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, described the launch of the projects as the culmination of years of effort by officers of the service, stakeholders, and consultants who worked tirelessly under the Modernising Nigeria Immigration Service (MoNIS) Workforce Project.
Their efforts led to the development of key policy documents designed to guide the service in the efficient and effective management of human resources.
Emphasizing that these policy documents directly address the efficient management of personnel, she noted that they also embedded professionalism and the core values of the service into the daily routines of its officers.
She explained that the importance placed on entrepreneurship as a critical factor of production makes the project particularly relevant for the service.
It will empower personnel to implement reforms and policies more pragmatically, thereby building a stronger institution capable of driving the service’s mandate, Mrs Nandap said.
