Abuja, June 17, 2025 – In a powerful address yesterday, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji‑Ojo raised the alarm on Nigeria’s severely porous borders and chronic under‑funding of the Immigration Service (NIS), linking both to surging insecurity and financing of foreign terrorist groups .
At a constitutional review forum held by the House Committee on Constitution Review, Minister Tunji‑Ojo drew an unsettling comparison: “Nigeria is in much the same situation as the U.S. was before the 9/11 attacks,” describing a nation awash with intelligence but lacking direction . He lamented the NIS’s meagre 2025 capital budget—under ₦10 billion—to patrol more than 4,000 km of land borders, calling it laughably insufficient .
The minister also highlighted how foreign nationals exploit these weak borders to perpetrate kidnappings, generate ransoms, and bankroll terrorist activities both within and beyond Nigeria’s borders . He argued that continuing with under‑funded police and ad‑hoc cybersecurity responses amounts to “paying lip service,” urging instead for proactive, well‑resourced frameworks and citizen mobilisation .
Supporting this stance, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede disclosed that recent joint operations in Lagos arrested 194 foreigners—15 of whom were reformed ex‑convicts—with 50 already convicted and serving sentences, reinforcing the security threat posed by cross‑border infiltration .
Meanwhile, Nigeria Immigration Service Comptroller‑General Kemi Nana Nandap added that approximately 1,400 unofficial entry points undermine border control. She pointed out that current constitutional and budget frameworks fail to prioritise border management .
Nigeria’s security dilemmas—abductions, cyber‑fraud, terrorism—are increasingly fueled by unchecked cross‑border flows and systemic under‑resourcing. Both the Interior Minister and EFCC chairman stress that bold steps, including new legislation, budget reform, and robust border architecture, are vital to stem this tide.
