The federal government has reiterated its commitment to tackling insecurity occasioned by irregular migration and increasing transnational activities across Nigeria’s international borders.
The deputy director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Interior, Mr Afonja Ajibola, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this in Lagos while delivering a speech at the 3rd edition of the International Security Management Course that took place at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
Belgore said the ministry, through the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has evolved new ways to improve border control, border management, border monitoring, and protection.
The permanent secretary added that such innovations would help confront 21st-century evolving challenges that continued to pose threat to Nigeria’s internal security.
“The importance of border security cannot be overemphasised in view of the rate and significance of transnational crimes. Indeed, this is of global significance due to globalisation and increasing travel.
“Accordingly, there has been an increase in transnational crimes from irregular migration to trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, financial crimes, drug-related offences anD transportation of illegal weapons, among others.”
He blamed illicit movement of arms and persons as well as using borders as escape routes by criminal elements as reasons for heightened insecurity in the country.