Red List Crackdown: Wanted Criminals Nabbed At Nigerian Airports

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced a major security breakthrough, revealing that several internationally wanted criminals have been apprehended at Nigerian airports.

Speaking on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at a regional workshop in Lagos titled "Regional Maritime Border Security in the Context of Counter-Terrorism in the Gulf of Guinea," Tunji-Ojo disclosed that individuals on INTERPOL’s red notice list were arrested as they attempted to enter Nigeria.

He emphasized that within just 48 hours, multiple fugitives—wanted by various European nations including Italy and the Republic of Ireland—were intercepted at the country’s entry points.

“This achievement is a result of our significant investment in surveillance and intelligence-gathering technologies across Nigeria’s borders,” the minister said.

He added, “We have built a robust database, and now we’re seeing the results. Just a couple of weeks ago, within two days, several individuals on the INTERPOL red list were apprehended at our airports. That means these people could have slipped in undetected years ago—but not anymore.”

According to Tunji-Ojo, the arrests are also thanks to the integration of Nigeria’s airport security systems into a centralized data infrastructure. “Our air terminals are now synchronized with our central system. Someone arriving from Italy, Ireland, or elsewhere can no longer sneak in unnoticed.”

In a historic milestone, the minister also revealed that Nigeria now operates an Advanced Passenger Information (API) system—an international security standard that allows immigration officers to pre-profile travelers before they land in the country.

“For the first time ever, Nigeria has an API solution,” he stated. “Before now, we were among the few countries without this capability. Immigration officers couldn’t access travelers’ records, backgrounds, or travel history in advance. But that has changed under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”

“Now, before you even board a plane to Nigeria, we know who you are. We’ve checked your records and travel history. This positions us to better fulfill our international obligations, especially under the UN’s mandates for border security.”

Tunji-Ojo concluded by affirming that the enhanced surveillance and data systems mark a new era of national security—where Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for fugitives.