The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has joined other security agencies and relevant stakeholders to strengthen border surveillance and prevent foreign interference in the 2027 general elections.
The agencies met on Friday during a sensitisation workshop held at the NIS headquarters in Abuja to discuss their respective roles in election monitoring and security management.
The workshop, themed “The Role of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Election Monitoring and Management,” brought together officials of the NIS, State Security Service (SSS), Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, the NIS Comptroller-General, Kemi Nandap, stressed the need for cooperation among security institutions to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
Nandap, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Visa and Residency, Franca Nwanneka, said securing the electoral process was as important as conducting credible polls.
She explained that the immigration service had a significant responsibility in protecting the country’s borders and monitoring migration-related activities that could threaten national security.
According to her, officers must remain vigilant against irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other cross-border crimes that could be exploited to disrupt the elections.
Nandap also cautioned immigration officers against partisan political activities, reaffirming the service’s commitment to the Constitution and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
She urged personnel to uphold political neutrality, discipline and respect for the rule of law throughout the electoral period.
The NIS chief further directed senior officers, zonal coordinators, comptrollers and heads of formations to ensure adequate preparations across their respective commands before, during and after the elections.
She identified improved surveillance, intelligence gathering, strategic personnel deployment and cooperation with other security agencies as essential measures for safeguarding the polls.
Nandap maintained that no security agency could effectively tackle the country’s security challenges without collaboration, stressing the importance of information sharing and prompt responses to emerging threats.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the SSS, Adeola Ajayi, highlighted the importance of securing Nigeria’s borders and strengthening migration controls ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ajayi, represented by the Deputy Director-General of Operations and Intelligence, Patrick Ikenweiwe, warned that criminal and foreign elements could exploit weaknesses in border security to undermine the electoral process.
He noted that previous elections had witnessed attempts to use border routes for the movement of illegal weapons, equipment and individuals seeking to disrupt democratic activities.
The SSS chief described the NIS as a critical component of the country’s national defence system, adding that its effectiveness would contribute significantly to peaceful and credible elections.
He also pledged the agency’s commitment to closer cooperation with the immigration service through intelligence sharing, joint threat assessments and coordinated security operations, particularly around land borders and other entry points.