The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that individuals on Interpol’s red list and other internationally wanted criminals have been arrested at Nigerian airports.
According to the minister, several of the suspects—wanted across European countries including Italy and the Republic of Ireland—were apprehended within just two days as they attempted to enter Nigeria.
Tunji-Ojo attributed the successful arrests to the government’s recent investment in surveillance and intelligence-gathering systems deployed at the nation’s border points.
He made the remarks during a regional workshop on maritime border security, themed “Regional Maritime Border Security in the Context of Counter Terrorism in the Gulf of Guinea,” held in Lagos.
The Minister further revealed that, for the first time, Nigeria now uses Advanced Passenger Information (API) to screen incoming travellers. The API system enables security agencies to assess passengers’ records, background, and travel history before they enter the country.
Also speaking at the event, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, highlighted the agency’s critical role in maritime border security.
She noted that the Immigration Service works to prevent foreign terrorist fighters and other criminal elements from exploiting Nigeria’s borders.
Nandap added that maritime insecurity—driven by illegal oil bunkering, unauthorised fishing, piracy, armed robbery, and related crimes—poses a serious threat to the safety of vessels and their crews.
