The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has announced a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Navy to enhance security operations across the country's international waters. The collaboration aims to combat terrorism, human trafficking, and other maritime crimes threatening the nation's borders.

Comptroller-General Kemi Nandap revealed the development during a working visit to the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft in Apapa, Lagos. The engagement formed part of activities at a regional maritime border security workshop jointly organized by the NIS and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre.

Represented by Deputy Controller Muhammad Umar, Nandap emphasized that the initiative extends beyond curbing stowaway incidents to addressing broader maritime security challenges. "This partnership reflects our commitment to a multi-agency approach in safeguarding Nigeria's territorial integrity," Umar stated on behalf of the Immigration boss.

The bilateral agreement comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to secure its maritime borders against transnational crimes and terrorist infiltration through coordinated security operations.

“As part of that programme, this is why we are here. So it is not only about stowaways, it is about how to control criminality and terrorism across our international maritime domain,” she said.

Speaking on the visit to the Navy, Umar stressed that the service was working in conjunction with the Navy to ensure adequate maritime protection.

“The Navy is responsible for the protection of our international territorial waters. So the ships and every other economic activity at the port or along the maritime domains are done in conjunction with these agencies. And it is all done within the context of what we call the four Cs,”

Earlier, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft, Commodore Paul Nimmyel, said, “Collaboration with other security agencies to rid the maritime space of maritime crimes is one of the key mandates of the base. We collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Immigration Service, among others.”

According to him, when criminals are arrested on the waterways, the Navy carries out proper documentation before handing them over to the appropriate authority.

“So when we arrest criminals or would-be criminals in the maritime space, we do their proper documentation. We now hand them over to the appropriate agencies. Like you’ve seen today, the exercise was to simulate stowaways, which is a frequent occurrence on board our ships that come to our waters,” he said.