The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede has described the technological revolution in Nigeria Immigration Service as a major breakthrough in intelligence gathering, sharing and collaboration between the service and other agencies.
Babandede who was speaking during a media chat, said we live in an interesting time where technology and communication plays greater role in curbing and fighting the multifaceted criminalities and security challenges.
He stated that Communication and Technology will continue to redefine world order and systems especially as it relates to Intelligence and Security services, as well as ease the challenges with human mobility or migration challenges, existing border security and migration management structures across national border frontiers.
He said: “Movements of people and goods have tremendously being the challenge of border security officers requiring enhanced migration and border management structures and strategies to effectively and efficiently manage cross-border flows of people and goods.
“Almost all countries in the world introduced some forms of travel restrictions and strict border controls both for health and security concerns. The NIS has adopted closed control of Borderlines in the face of the ravaging scourge of Covid-19, states are being confronted with how to facilitate regular migration of people while maintaining a secure border.
“The NIS charged with the responsibility for the processing of people at points of entry and exit as well the detection and regulation of people attempting to cross borders irregularly, has continued to emplace strategies to effectively strike the nexus between trade and people facilitation, human rights and right of countries to protect its sovereignty and security, economic development and risk to life and prosperity of the nation.
“This has made the Service to maintain active presence across the Land, Air and Blue Borderlines of the country as well contributing to the internal security of the country through the deployment of personnel to the Joint Task Force in the North East, the Forward Operating Bases in 14 different locations across the country, 774 Divisional Immigration Offices in the local government areas of the country, eight Zonal offices, 36 State Commands and FCT, five newly established Special Border Commands, 114 land border control posts, 72 border patrol bases, 6 International Airports, 11 Sea/Marine borders patrolling the nations 415 nautical miles (853 km), coastal areas and the Gulf of Guinea in the south.”
The NIS boss further revealed that in the year 2020 passenger movement across the air borders was 1,256,652 and across land borders, 109,854 while Seaports recorded 213,161, while adding that 106 Stowaways were intercepted.
“The analysis and computation is a confirmation that migration remains a global phenomenon that is driven by the push and pull factors amidst COVID-19 pandemic that literally redefined global migratory discourses and policy formulations,” he said.
Babandede maintained that Nigeria Immigration Service will continue to play the lead role in Border Management, Migration Management and Control of Human Mobility, through the deployment of Human Capital and Technology.
“We will also engage in collaborations for safer migration through bilateral, multilateral cooperation, Inter Agency collaborations and partnerships, training and retraining of its workforce to ensure safe border and safe nation,” the NIS boss revealed.