Fugitives on INTERPOL Red List Arrested at Nigerian Airports — Minister

Wednesday May 21, 2025|

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says several international fugitives on Interpol’s red list were recently arrested at Nigerian airports, thanks to upgraded border surveillance and intelligence systems.

Speaking at a regional workshop on maritime border security held in Lagos on Tuesday, May 20, the minister explained that the arrests occurred within two days and involved individuals wanted by countries including Italy and the Republic of Ireland.

“I can tell you that to a large extent, we have built a robust database, and we are reaping the fruits of that. Now, it will interest you that a couple of weeks ago, within two days, a lot of people on the Interpol and red list were arrested at our airports. It means that these people would have come in,” Tunji-Ojo said.

He added, “One came from Italy, one came from Ireland, the other one, I think, from a couple of countries. These people would have come into Nigeria 18 years ago, but now we know that in terms of our air terminals, they are in sync because it’s integrated into the central system.”

The minister also revealed that Nigeria now has Advanced Passenger Information (API) capabilities, a tool used globally to assess incoming travellers before they arrive.

“Now, we can tell you that Nigeria now has an API solution. We never had that before now. Before now, we were one of the few countries without an API solution, without the opportunity for our immigration officers to pre-profile people coming into Nigeria, not being able to query their background, query their record system, query their antecedents and their travel history.

“We never had that capacity before President Bola Tinubu came on board, but today, I tell you, NIS has that, so if you’re coming into Nigeria today, before you come, we know everything about you,” he said.

He added, “We’ve queried you, we know where you’re coming from, and we can tell from their aspect, we’re now fulfilling our international obligations to our international colleagues by being able to uphold the tenets of UN resolution of the API solution that we have at the moment.”

Earlier, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, underscored the Service’s role in securing maritime borders, noting that efforts were ongoing to prevent terrorists and criminal elements from exploiting Nigeria’s coastal vulnerabilities.

She warned that maritime insecurity, including piracy, armed robbery, and illegal oil activities, continued to pose significant risks to national and regional safety.