Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo called for greater Sahel and West African cooperation on border security during a London summit, emphasizing the need for information sharing to prevent immigration issues before they occur.
“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,” Tunji-Ojo told reporters at the Summit on Border Security in London.
The minister highlighted that Nigeria has implemented automated border control solutions, noting that while organized immigration crimes affect all nations, a unified approach is essential. “We can’t afford to lose the battle before we start it,” he stated, expressing confidence that international collaboration would effectively combat irregular migration.
The London summit gathered over 30 global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, to address border control challenges and organized immigration crime.
In a related development, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) apprehended 51 illegal immigrants in New Nyanya, Nasarawa State. NIS spokesperson A.S. Akinlabi confirmed that the detained individuals, all Malian nationals between 17 and 25 years old, included 11 females and 40 males.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that they may have been victims of human trafficking and migrant smuggling,” Akinlabi explained. “None of them presented any valid travel documents or residence permits during interrogation.”
The migrants have been taken into NIS custody for further profiling and investigation as authorities continue working to secure Nigeria’s borders against irregular migration.
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