By Ibironke Ariyo

The Federal Government has announced plans to cancel its Visa-on-Arrival policy and introduce landing and exit cards, which prospective visitors will pre-fill before coming into the country.

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this in Abuja during the closing ceremony of a weeklong capacity building training organised for personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The training was on Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record API/PNR Data in National Security and Law Enforcement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FG had in 2020 unveiled the Visa-on-Arrival policy, a class of short-stay visa issued at the point of entry.

However, Tunji-Ojo had on assumption of office in 2023 said that the Visa-on-Arrival Policy would, henceforth, be based on reciprocity.

This visa is often given to frequently travelled high net worth investors and intending visitors who may not be able to obtain visas in their countries of residence due to the absence of Nigerian missions or embassies in those countries.

The Minister of Interior, however, said that the API/PNR was not optional, recalling that the system was not in place when he was made minister.

According to him, what the API, PNR gives is objectivity in decision making, objective profiling, not subjective profiling.

He added that what existed previously was subjective.

“Today, we have heard and we have sorted the API across all of our five international airports.

“We think that what we need to do is for us to be able to expand the capability of this in an adaptive manner to allow other border posts.

“The visa system that is one of the core, because I always tell people the visa is not just an approval of entry, it is a migration management device.

“It is a security device to manage migration into your country. So, the way it is at the moment is very subjective.

“We are not really too objective and that is why we are automating the whole process end-to-end.

“And the e-visa solution, we are working hard to be able to meet the March 1st or peradventure if we are unable, April 1st, we will hit it live,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo said that the system would be automated, adding that people would apply online and the service would do what it needed to do.

He said: “That solution will be integrated with the Interpol System, the criminal records system, so that we can be able to take decisions.

“We do not want foreign attachés approving and issuing visas. It is not going to be that way anymore, we want to be able to screen people more.

“Nigeria cannot be a destination for wanted criminals in the world. Nigeria is not a safe haven for any criminal and it will never be.

“Another thing we are trying to do even for our expatriates is to see how we can integrate all these our immigration solutions.

“What we are doing is to harmonise all these solutions in our data centre, harmonise the database and be able to let the solutions speak to one another rather than having solutions in silos.

“We want to have integrated solutions. So, what we are looking at is for any decision that borders on immigration into Nigeria.

“It will be impossible for approvals to be given without the clearance of Interpol, criminal records system and all background checking agencies in real time.

“Security is not a sector where you can afford to be 99.9 per cent correct. You just have to be 100 per cent. We believe that it is better for us to take decisions based on objectivity rather than subjectivity.

“And of course, that will lead to the cancellation of the visa-on-arrival process because the visa-on-arrival we understand is not a system that works, because I don’t expect you to just come into my country without me knowing that you are coming into my country.

“No, it is never done anywhere and of course, we are also introducing what we call the landing and exit card.

“We do it now, but it is manual. We are not going to be doing that anymore. This is 2025. This is not 1825. So, technology must take its place,” he said.

Speaking further, Tunji-Ojo said that people must fill the landing card which would be integrated with the visa solution, the passport solution, and to all background checking systems across the world before a visitor comes.

According to him, the ministry will be able to share this data with other agencies and across the world, to sanitise the process.

He said, “A scenario where it is difficult for NIS, on the tip of a finger, to tell me the number of foreigners who are entering into Nigeria is unacceptable.

“A scenario where somebody comes into Nigeria, disappears and becomes untraceable is unacceptable. A scenario where there is abuse of immigration policies and processes is unacceptable.

“A scenario where somebody needs to come to Nigeria, stay for six months, waiting to regularise their residency in Nigeria is unacceptable. It is not done anywhere in the world.

“So, we are going to bring these massive reforms and these reforms start between March 1 and April 1.

“Why we are trying to do these is to be able to safeguard our people, it’s for us to be responsible in the comity of nations, and for us to be able to contribute our fair quota to international peace,” he maintained.

Earlier, the NIS Comptroller-General, Mrs Kemi Nandap, said that the programme originated from discussions held with the United Nations Organisation on Counter Terrorism in Bangkok, Thailand in 2024.

“We recognise the need to fully maximise the administration’s investments in this project, and so we must engage in a lot of capacity building.

“We have successfully trained over 100 officers drawn from critical areas,” she said.

Nandap said the service had a crop of well-trained and patriotic personnel who were ready to give their best to the country. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Christiana Fadare

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Defence Headquarters says troops have in the last one week eliminated a total of 82 terrorists, nabbed 198 others and rescued 93 kidnapped hostages.

This Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, made this known while giving an update on the operations of the military in Abuja.

Kangye said the troops also recovered 152 assorted arms and ammunition as well as five magazines among others.

He added that troops recovered 86 and 2,040 assorted weapons and ammunition comprising 46 AK47 rifles, 18 locally fabricated guns, 19 dane guns, three pump action guns, 1,165 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, and 128 rounds of 7.62mm NATO.

He added that troops also recovered 600 rounds of 7.62 x 12.7mm ammo, 51 cartridges as well as other three assorted arms and 96 assorted ammunitions.

Kangye said the troops apprehended 22 perpetrators of oil theft in the South South region and foiled oil theft estimated to the tune of about N587m.

According to him, the breakdown includes: 366,530 litres of stolen crude oil, 117,320 litres of illegally refined AGO and 600 litres of DPK.

“Additionally, troops discovered and destroyed 38 crude oil cooking ovens, 27 dugout pits, 22 boats, teo speedboats, 60 storage tanks, 34 drums and 32 illegal refining sites.

“Other items recovered include three pumping machines, one tricycle, three motorcycles, five mobile phones and two vehicles among others,” he said.

The defence spokesman said the troops of Operation HADIN KAI recorded the surrender of 41 terrorists comprising 10 adult males, 12 adult females and 19 children within the North East theatre of operation.

He said the terrorists surrendered with one PKT gun, one AK 47 Rifle with two magazines, one AK 101 Rifle with two magazines, 135 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 59 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammo and 28 rounds of 5.56mm ammo.

According to him, gallant men and women of the armed forces will continue to carry out constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and properties of all Nigerians in line with our constitutional roles. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Yakubu Uba