NIS Strengthens Border Security Measures Ahead of 2027 Elections, Targets Illegal Arms, Foreign Mercenaries
Immigration Service pledges enhanced surveillance, intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration to curb cross-border threats and safeguard electoral integrity.
ABUJA, November 13, 2026
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has pledged to intensify border surveillance, strengthen intelligence gathering and deepen collaboration with other security agencies to prevent the infiltration of foreign mercenaries, illegal arms and other criminal elements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nandap, gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja at a sensitisation workshop on election security for senior officers of the Service, themed “The Strategic Role of the NIS in Election Monitoring and Intimidation.”
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Visa and Residency, Dr Franca Usiwoma Nwanneka, Nandap emphasised that the Service had a critical responsibility to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial borders and ensure effective migration management as part of broader national security efforts.
She warned that irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other transnational crimes posed significant security risks, particularly during sensitive periods such as general elections.
“As we prepare for the 2027 general elections, let us be guided by the common purpose to protect our national security, uphold the rule of law, and contribute to an electoral environment in which every Nigerian can exercise their democratic rights peacefully and without intimidation,” she said.
Nandap called on immigration commands across the country to strengthen border surveillance, improve intelligence gathering, ensure strategic deployment of personnel and maintain effective coordination with relevant security agencies before, during and after the elections.
She also stressed the need for political neutrality among immigration personnel, warning against the use of official positions or resources to advance partisan interests. She urged officers to uphold professionalism, integrity and impartiality throughout the electoral process.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, identified election periods as particularly vulnerable to attempts by criminal elements to exploit Nigeria’s borders for the movement of illicit weapons and foreign mercenaries.
Represented by the Deputy Director-General for Operations and Intelligence, Patrick Ikenweiwe, Ajayi described the NIS as a vital component of Nigeria’s national defence architecture and reaffirmed the DSS’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Immigration Service, particularly in securing land borders and other entry points.
Similarly, David Ojelabi, representing the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Audi, underscored the importance of early and coordinated preparations in ensuring peaceful and credible elections in 2027.
He identified the prevention of foreign interference, effective monitoring of land, air and maritime entry points, and impartial enforcement of immigration laws as critical measures for strengthening election security.
Ojelabi further noted that effective security preparedness extended beyond the availability of personnel and equipment, stressing the importance of timely threat identification, strategic resource deployment and lawful, impartial responses to emerging security challenges.
Edited by Rosemary Aiyenale
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
