2027: DSS Warns Of Arms, Mercenaries’ Influx, Task Immigration On Border Security

The Department of State Services (DSS) has warned that Nigeria’s borders could be exploited for the movement of illicit arms, mercenaries and other criminal elements capable of undermining the 2027 general elections, urging the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to strengthen border surveillance and migration control ahead of the polls.

The DSS also called for intensified intelligence sharing, coordinated security operations and closer collaboration among security agencies, stressing that no single institution could independently guarantee a peaceful and credible electoral process.

The deputy director-general, Operations and Intelligence, DSS, Patrick Ikenweiwe, stated this at a sensitisation workshop organised by the NIS on the strategic role of the service in election monitoring and management.

Representing the director-general of the DSS, Ikenweiwe said electoral periods often present opportunities for criminal networks and other hostile elements to exploit porous borders to move illicit weapons and personnel into the country.

He described the Immigration Service as a critical component of Nigeria’s national security architecture, given its responsibility for border security and migration management.

According to him, the DSS remains committed to strengthening collaboration with the NIS through timely intelligence sharing, joint threat assessments and coordinated operations, particularly along the nation’s land borders and other entry points.

“No single agency can secure the electoral space alone. Our strength lies in absolute synergy,” he stressed.

Ikenweiwe also commended the NIS for its Performance Evaluation and Results Management Information System, describing effective supervision, accountability and measurable performance as essential to institutional efficiency.

He urged newly promoted comptrollers and other senior immigration officers to sustain the professional qualities that earned them their promotions, warning against complacency in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Earlier, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, whose keynote address was delivered by the Deputy Comptroller-General, Franca Nwanneka, said the 2027 general elections required deliberate preparations and collective vigilance from all institutions entrusted with national security.

She said the Immigration Service occupied a strategic position in the country’s security framework and must remain alert to irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other transnational criminal activities that could threaten national security.

The Comptroller-General stressed the importance of intelligence sharing, effective border surveillance and sustained inter-agency cooperation, noting that the complexity of emerging security challenges made collaboration indispensable.

She, however, warned officers against partisan conduct, insisting that the Immigration Service must maintain strict political neutrality throughout the electoral process.

“Our success must demonstrate the highest standards of political neutrality, discipline and respect for the rule of law. Under no circumstances should our personnel use official resources to promote partisan interests,” she said.

She charged zonal coordinators, state comptrollers and other senior officers to ensure that their commands were adequately prepared before, during and after the elections through improved surveillance, intelligence gathering, effective deployment and coordination with relevant security agencies.

The comptroller-general also urged officers participating in the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to make meaningful contributions towards strengthening election security.

She maintained that effective leadership required consistent supervision, mentoring, performance monitoring and accountability, adding that senior officers must lead by example and ensure that personnel discharged their duties with competence and integrity.

Also speaking, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, represented by the Assistant Commandant-General, David Idowu Ojelabi, described early preparations for the 2027 elections as a national security imperative.

He said the Immigration Service had important responsibilities in securing the electoral environment, particularly through border surveillance, migration control, prevention of foreign interference and enforcement of immigration laws.

Ojelabi noted that the service’s responsibilities also included identifying suspicious cross-border movements, providing migration-related intelligence and supporting joint security operations before, during and after the elections.

He particularly commended the NIS for introducing its Performance Evaluation and Results Management Information System, describing it as a useful framework for setting institutional targets, monitoring performance, documenting results and identifying areas requiring improvement.

According to him, properly prepared security personnel, supported by effective supervision and accountability, would be better equipped to protect voters, electoral officials and sensitive election materials.

He added that election security required more than personnel and equipment, stressing the need for timely threat assessment, rapid response, lawful deployment and strict political neutrality.

The NSCDC boss further assured the Immigration Service of the Corps’ continued partnership, particularly in the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, community-level intelligence gathering, peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

The security chiefs collectively underscored the importance of stronger institutional cooperation, professional conduct and effective border management in preventing security threats and safeguarding the integrity of the 2027 electoral process.