The federal government announced that security operatives had arrested 10 individuals on INTERPOL’s watch list as they attempted to enter Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the inauguration of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Technology Innovation Complex by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Tuesday, 10 December 2024.
“Before now, those people would have entered Nigeria, causing terror. But we have now told them that under the new leadership, Nigeria is a no-go area for any criminal element.”
The president unveiled several facilities, including the command and control centre for regular migration, the NIS Data Centre, the ECOWAS biometric card production centre, the Interior Data Centre, and a 0.5KW solar power plant.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the newly installed facility is designed to assess the risk level of individuals entering the country, identify irregular migration patterns, and monitor unmanned borders in hard-to-reach areas across the nation.
The minister also highlighted the solar power station, which was built to reduce costs and promote sustainability. He pointed out that it would save over N300 million annually.
“We decided to do an end-to-end solution. One that has an energy solution to power this facility. The 0.5KW solar power plant is 100 percent ready here, and it has been connected to the facility to power it,” he said.
“Also, the human factor is fundamental because you can build a structure, but how about the human element?
“What we’ve been able to do is to train 250 officers. As I speak, we run shifts of eight hours three times a day, which is 24/7 surveillance.
“Nigeria was wasting billions every year, but with this state-of-the-art technology, the country will save over N300 million annually.
“We now have an ECOWAS travel document that will facilitate easy movement and travel, and for the first time in the history of this country, we now have over 200 borders, and we are fully in charge of the border governance, watching over them.
“We now have an automated visa regime with 48 hours of visa approval,” he added.
Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed his commitment to improving service delivery for Nigerians.
In his speech, President Tinubu praised the state-of-the-art, technology-driven passenger surveillance centre established by the Nigeria Immigration Service, which led to the identification and arrest of 10 persons of interest just a week after its installation.
The president also noted that the centre would be used to profile high-risk passengers, monitor suspicious travel patterns, enhance video surveillance, particularly along the border areas, and facilitate cross-referencing of data with international organisations.
He further mentioned that the newly commissioned Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) at the NIS headquarters would integrate all relevant government agencies.
With the inauguration of the centre, Nigeria joins six other African countries that have a well-integrated passenger security system, a programme initiated about 18 years ago under the regime of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
President Tinubu hailed the project as a major achievement, emphasising that this cutting-edge complex would help Nigeria leverage technology to promote development.
“By 2025 we could have achieved 100 percent new passport regime. We acknowledge that a passport is more of a security document than a travelling document and must be treated as such,” he said.
“What you have achieved has given this country a great reputation not just within ECOWAS, but amongst other comity of nations.”
