The Federal Government has unveiled plans to deploy an artificial intelligence-driven tracking system to identify and clamp down on irregular migrants and visa overstayers across the country.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the 2026 Sectoral Performance Review Retreat of the ministry, stating that the government now has access to data covering every traveller who has entered Nigeria in the past decade.
According to the minister, the new system will enable authorities to track individuals who have overstayed their visas as part of efforts to strengthen border security and reposition the Nigeria Immigration Service as a key internal security institution.
He revealed that the immigration service has established an Integrated Operations Centre and a Network Operations Centre, which now provide access to detailed records of travellers entering the country over the last ten years.
“With this system, we can see everyone who has entered Nigeria in the last 10 years — where they came from and their travel details. We know those who have overstayed, and we will go after them with due respect because other countries also enforce their immigration laws,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo added that the reform is part of a broader effort to transform the immigration service into “an internal security enabler and a protector and guardian of Nigeria’s border space.”
The minister also tasked the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) with ensuring that its VIP protection services remain transparent and accessible to all citizens.
According to him, the protection services must be corruption-free so that ordinary Nigerians facing genuine threats can receive protection without needing personal connections within the security establishment.
“VIP protection must be democratized. The son of a nobody must have the same opportunity to be protected if there is a genuine threat,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo further called on the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to intensify efforts toward the registration and data capture of all Nigerians, stressing that the country cannot claim success until every citizen is properly captured in the national database.
While addressing officials of the ministry and its agencies, the minister stressed that preparations for the 2027 general elections would not distract the ministry from its core mandate of safeguarding the nation’s internal security.
He warned that there would be consequences for agencies that fail to meet their performance targets, describing the current administration’s approach as an “era of business unusual.”
Tunji-Ojo also highlighted the need for reforms in correctional services, noting that the justice system must prioritize rehabilitation to reduce repeat offences.
“Anybody who goes into correctional custody must be reformed and transformed. The goal is to reach a point where recidivism is close to zero,” he said.
Earlier in her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, emphasized that effective leadership must be driven by devotion, promises, performance and measurable impact.
FG Deploys AI Tracking System to Hunt Visa Overstayers, Irregular Migrants
