The Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, has said 1,579,773 persons passed through the nation’s borders in 2020.
The CG said passenger movement across the air borders was 1,256,652, while the land borders recorded 109,854, and the seaport, 213,161.
About 106 stowaways were intercepted during the period.
A statement on Tuesday by the NIS spokesman, Sunday James, said Babandede noted that the service has put in place 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, ensuring that it maintains active presence across the land, air and blue border lines of the country.’’
It noted that the NIS operatives were active in the 72 border patrol bases, six international airports, 11 sea/marine borders patrolling the nation’s 415 nautical miles (853 km), coastal areas and the Gulf of Guinea in the south.
The statement said, “’The CG promised that the 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, 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.’’
