FG Deports 828 Illegal Immigrants, Revamps Border Security
From Yahaya Zakka, Abuja.
The Federal Government has deported 828 illegal immigrants in 2024 as part of its intensified efforts to combat irregular migration and enhance national security.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Olu, disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Highlighting the government’s achievements, the minister stated, “In the past year, 137 victims of trafficking were intercepted, and in 2024 alone, 828 foreigners were repatriated by the Nigerian Immigration Service.”
As part of broader reforms, the government has implemented measures to modernize border operations and immigration systems. These measures include integrating Nigerian passports into the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Public Key Directory, which allows for seamless verification worldwide, and establishing a centralized Visa Approval Centre in Abuja to streamline visa processing.
To support these initiatives, an 8.3-petabyte data center—the largest in Nigeria—has been constructed, and solar-powered infrastructure has been introduced to ensure uninterrupted operations.
A command and control center now provides real-time monitoring of all land and air entry points, enhancing surveillance capabilities.
According to the minister, at least 97 cases of persons of international security interest have been recorded through the Advance Passenger Information / Passenger Name Record (API/PNR) as of Sunday, January 26, 2025.
These individuals would have otherwise gained entry into the country under the previous manual passenger processing and profiling system.
The minister also noted that the Nigerian Immigration Service cleared a backlog of over 200,000 passport applications within three weeks in 2023 and issued 1,836,533 passports in 2024.
He added that the centralized passport personalization process is set to begin with 21 African countries on February 3, 2025.
