The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called for enhanced collaboration among Sahel and West African countries to improve information and data sharing for effective border control.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Summit on Border Security in London, he emphasised the need for regional partnerships to tackle irregular migration and organised immigration crimes.
“There is a need for collaboration of countries within the Sahel and West African sub-region for better international partnerships and information dissemination.
“We need more data sharing and better collaborations to make sure we don’t just solve the problem but we stop the problem from happening.
“The major takeaway from this summit is proactiveness and not just being reactive as countries are now more poised to criminalising irregular migration.
“So this summit is a wonderful one because it brings an opportunity for ministers in border control to make sure we are all able to manage our borders to secure our countries,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He noted that organised immigration crimes are a shared challenge across nations, making cross-border cooperation essential.
“Nigeria has a border control solution because we are not just a destination point. We have automated our solutions as there are more measures in place to ensure the borders are secured and to ensure irregular migration is brought to an end.
“We can’t afford to lose the battle before we start it, and so we know that with this kind of summit, as a united front, we will effectively combat this menace,” he assured.
The UK summit, attended by over 30 global leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, focused on border control and organised immigration crime.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Immigration Service announced on Tuesday the arrest of 51 illegal immigrants in Nasarawa State.
According to the NIS Public Relations Officer, A.S. Akinlabi, the arrested individuals, all from Mali and aged between 17 and 25, were apprehended in New Nyanya, Karu Local Government Area.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service has arrested 51 illegal immigrants in New Nyanya, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
“The illegal migrants, all Malians aged between 17 and 25, were arrested at their hideouts following credible intelligence. Eleven of them are female, while 40 are male.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that they may have been victims of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. None of them presented any valid travel documents or residence permits during interrogation,” Akinlabi stated.
The NIS confirmed that the migrants are currently in custody, undergoing further profiling and investigation.
