Nigeria Immigration Service NIS has intensified its clampdown on irregular migration, stopping 294 Nigerians without valid documents, from exiting the country and denying entry to 332 undocumented migrants at the Seme border. The development which happened in recent weeks, also saw the Service rescuing 36 victims of human trafficking and child labour along the Seme border. Comptroller General of Immigration Service CGIS, Kemi Nandap, said this on Tuesday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitization seminar on, ‘Evolving Patterns in Smuggling of Migrants: Towards a Coordinated National Response’, held in Abuja. She said the Service was deeply concerned about the growing trend of Nigerians attempting to leave the country irregularly, often under the illusion of greener pastures abroad – a phenomenon popularly known as “Japa. It is very disheartening when you see young people risking their lives because they feel the grass is greener on the other side,” Nandap lamented.
She stressed that migrant smuggling has become “more complex and transnational,” driven by highly organized criminal networks. Nandap explained that the NIS, in collaboration with international and local partners, has adopted a multi-dimensional approach to counter the menace. These include strengthening of legal and institutional frameworks, expansion of public awareness campaigns, and enhanced inter-agency cooperation. According to her, over 577,200 National Youth Service Corps NYSC members have so far been sensitized on the dangers of irregular migration this year, while the nationwide Anti-Smuggling Sensitization Campaign launched in Lagos has been extended to schools, markets, worship centres, and motor parks across the country. Plans, she noted, are underway to establish Anti-Smuggling Clubs in schools and within the NYSC’s Community Development Service structure.
Nandap further revealed that the recent operations at Seme Border, aided by newly installed CCTV cameras, led to the interception of the irregular migrants and the rescue of dozens of victims. “These are not annual statistics; they happened just within a short period, and it tells you the scale of the problem we are dealing with,” she added. The Immigration boss also highlighted Nigeria’s participation in international migration dialogues such as the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, recently hosted in Lagos, aimed at promoting cooperation and harmonized action against irregular migration. She underscored the need for a coordinated national response, warning that no single institution could effectively tackle the challenge alone. “The fight against smuggling of migrants is not only a security imperative but also a moral responsibility. Every smuggled migrant represents a life placed at risk, a family disrupted, and a community robbed of its potential,” she said.
Nandap urged government agencies, civil society, faith-based organizations, educators, and private sector players to work together to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration. “Our success depends on our ability to act as one national front guided by the principles of protection, accountability, and human dignity,” she emphasized. The seminar brought together key stakeholders from key government agencies and international organizations with the mandate to curb migrant smuggling and protect Nigerians from exploitation and deceit.
Immigration stops 294 Nigerians from exiting, turns back 332 irregular migrants, 36 victims of human trafficking rescued
