The Federal Government says not less than 828 illegal immigrants were deported in 2024 as part of its intensified efforts to combat irregular migration and tighten national security.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Abuja.
Speaking on the government’s achievements, Tunji-Ojo noted that in the last one year, the Nigerian Immigration Service has intercepted 137 victims of trafficking and 828 foreigners were repatriated.
He said in a way to broaden the reforms, the government implemented measures to modernise border operations and immigration systems which include integrating Nigerian passports into the International Civil Aviation Organisation Public Key Directory, allowing seamless verification worldwide, and establishing a centralised Visa Approval Centre in Abuja to streamline visa processing.
To support these initiatives, he added, an 8.3-petabyte data centre—the largest in Nigeria—has been constructed, and a solar-powered infrastructure was introduced to ensure uninterrupted operations.
A Command and Control Centre now provides real-time monitoring of all land and air entry points, boosting surveillance capabilities.