… Immigration Deploys Digital System To Trace Defaulters
… Says Visa Defaulters Face Arrest
Daud Olatunji
The Federal Government has declared that it now has the technological capability to identify and arrest foreigners who overstay their visas in Nigeria, in what officials describe as a major step toward strengthening immigration control and border security.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Thursday during the 2026 Sectoral Performance Review Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Interior in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo said the government could now track the movement and visa status of foreigners who entered Nigeria within the last 10 years through newly established digital monitoring systems operated by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
According to him, the development followed the creation of an Integrated Operations Centre and a Network Operations Centre by the immigration service, enabling authorities to access detailed records of visitors to the country.
“With that, we can access, in the last 10 years, everybody who has entered — where you came from and everything. We have all your records; we know the exact people who have overstayed in our country and we will go after them,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo explained that stricter enforcement of visa regulations was necessary to protect Nigeria’s borders and align the country with global immigration practices.
He noted that Nigerians who violate immigration laws in foreign countries are often tracked and sanctioned, adding that Nigeria must adopt similar measures to protect its sovereignty.
“Outside Nigeria, they go after irregular immigrants, and we think we must protect the sanctity of our borders,” he said.
The minister also highlighted ongoing institutional reforms within agencies under the ministry, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, stressing the need for transparent and corruption-free service delivery.
According to him, security agencies must operate in a manner that guarantees equal protection for all citizens regardless of their social or political status.
“NSCDC provides protection in an organised and corruption-free manner where the son of a nobody will have the same opportunity as the son of anybody in government,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo added that individuals facing genuine threats to their lives or businesses should be able to access security protection without having to rely on political influence or bureaucratic connections.
“If you are a businessman or there is a genuine threat to your life, you should be able to access protection without going through the minister, the Commandant General, or anyone else,” he added.
The minister further stressed that government institutions must prioritise the protection of all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable.
He also raised concerns about Nigeria’s correctional system, lamenting that some inmates repeatedly return to custody, which he described as evidence of weak rehabilitation structures.
According to him, correctional facilities must focus on reform and reintegration to ensure that inmates return to society as responsible citizens.
“Anybody who goes in there must be reformed and transformed,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Earlier in her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Magdalene Ajani, emphasised the need for accountability and measurable performance across agencies under the ministry.
Ajani noted that leadership in public institutions should be defined by “devotion, promises, performance and impact,” stressing that transparency and effective service delivery are essential to restoring public confidence in government institutions.
The government’s plan to track visa overstayers forms part of broader efforts to strengthen border management and tighten immigration enforcement across the country.
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