The renewed war against border insecurity

RECENTLY, Kemi Nandap, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), expressed concern over the rise of organised migrant smuggling syndicates, highlighting their increasing use of digital platforms for recruitment and deception, as well as the expansion of complex transnational routes. According to her, migrants are now exposed to heightened dangers, including trafficking, extortion, s3xual exploitation, violence and death, as they attempt perilous journeys across deserts and seas. Smugglers, she noted, now deploy encrypted messaging applications, falsify travel documents, coach migrants on evasion tactics and collaborate with other criminal groups across borders. She disclosed that under the guidance of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the NIS had strengthened its response through policy reforms, operational upgrades, technology deployment and international cooperation. The measures highlighted include enhanced surveillance across land, sea and air borders, the establishment of a Command and Control Centre that mirrors all NIS operational activities nationwide, and the deployment of advanced migration management tools.  The measures, she said, also “include the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS), Advanced Passenger Information Systems (APIS), Passenger Name Records (PNR), e-gates at international airports, and Huawei-powered e-border solutions deployed at more than 144 border locations across the country.”

In a related development, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, indicated that the smuggling of petroleum products through Nigeria’s land borders had drastically reduced following intensified enforcement activities by the Service. Speaking during a meeting between the NCS and the leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Customs CG said:“We welcome every initiative that strengthens energy security and ensures that the gains made in reducing cross-border diversion are not reversed. Our shared responsibility is to protect national interest, support legitimate trade and maintain a transparent system that stakeholders can rely on.”

The situation at the borders indeed deserves attention. The fact is well known that Nigeria loses billions of dollars annually to crude oil theft (illegal bunkering) and illicit financial flows. In November, the Senate ad hoc committee investigating persistent crude oil theft in the Niger Delta revealed that a forensic audit conducted by independent consultants showed that suspected oil thieves stole more than $300 billion worth of oil that ought to have been Nigeria’s proceeds from crude oil sales. Also, the fact that Nigeria is a major origin, transit and destination country for human smuggling in Africa has long been recognised. For instance, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that  over  80 percent of Nigerian women arriving in Europe via irregular routes are potential trafficking victims and that Nigeria accounts for nearly 50 percent of all human smuggling cases in West Africa. In 2023, the Global Slavery Index estimated that a staggering 1.4 million Nigerians were living in modern slavery. Again, some 617,000 adults are reported to be victims of forced labour in Nigeria. Typically, Nigerian smuggling networks target Europe, moving their victims through North African nations such as Niger, Mali and Libya, and exploiting Nigeria’s porous land borders with Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. It was in deep cognizance of this problem that we have canvassed the building of border walls.

But while a physical border wall is not yet in sight, it is at least significant that there is a technological wall aimed at curbing criminality at the border. In response to the situation, the  Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior, has reportedly upgraded intelligence and border security architecture. That is highly commendable. Among other measures, it launched an Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Week this year to reinforce national and global commitments. Through the NIS, it also conducted outreach in border communities, schools, transport unions and youth associations.  It is also significant that as noted by the Immigration boss, Nigeria has deepened partnerships with regional and international bodies such as ECOWAS, the African Union, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), among others. According to reports, the collaborations spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior have boosted capacity building, data sharing, joint investigations, safe return programmes and cross-border law enforcement while bilateral agreements with transit and destination countries have improved early warning systems and repatriation mechanisms.

No doubt, border management in the modern era requires technological architecture that places the government many steps ahead of trans-border criminals. Responding to the haemorrhage that Nigeria suffers from oil theft and people through technological innovations is the right step to take. This is especially significant given the fact that, as indicated in the Organised Crime Index (ENA CT), the human smuggling score for Nigeria is 7.50 (out of 10), as it is more organised compared to other West African countries. We commend the initiatives rolled out by the Interior Minister to arrest the situation. Also, given their stated resolve to tackle oil theft and people smuggling, the NIS and the NCS should strengthen collaboration and make Nigeria safer than ever. The focus on the tactics used by smuggling networks, digital recruitment scams, false job offers and the importance of using safe, orderly and regular migration channels is in order.

Going forward, the government should complement the technology innovations with massive boots on the ground and the building of border walls. This will deter criminals from Nigeria’s borders.

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