FG Intensifies Fight Against Migrant Smuggling, Targets Criminal Networks

The Federal Government has announced renewed efforts to dismantle organized criminal networks driving migrant smuggling and irregular migration in Nigeria.

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, revealed that the agency is increasingly leveraging technology to track and disrupt criminal operations, particularly those exploiting digital platforms for recruitment and deception.

Speaking at the 2025 Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Week in Abuja, themed “Smuggling of Migrants: Emerging Trends, Realities and National Response”, Nandap urged families, communities, and civil society to join in combating the practice.

She warned that smugglers are using encrypted messaging apps, falsified documents, and cross-border criminal networks to exploit vulnerable populations.

Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General of Works and Logistics, Ada Mana, Nandap highlighted the growing threat posed by organized migrant smuggling to both public safety and national security.

She noted that NIS has strengthened its anti-smuggling strategy through policy reforms, advanced border surveillance, and digital tools such as the Command and Control Centre and the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS). Collaborative efforts with regional bodies like ECOWAS and international organizations, including the IOM, have enhanced capacity-building and cross-border data sharing.

Community engagement remains a core focus, with NIS conducting extensive awareness programs. This year alone, over 200,000 Corps members received sensitization training, alongside targeted outreach to youths and other vulnerable groups.

Nandap emphasized that combating migrant smuggling requires a collective approach, calling on all stakeholders to work together to protect human dignity and curb criminal exploitation.