The arrests were made possible by credible intelligence, which led officials to the hideouts of the illegal immigrants.

The Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has arrested 40 foreign nationals in Akinyele Local Government Area for residing in the country without proper documentation.

Oyo State Comptroller of the NIS, Tayo Dada, said the arrests were made based on credible intelligence that led officers to the individuals' hideouts.

The arrested individuals include 27 Cameroonians, two Ghanaians, 10 Beninoise, and one Togolese national.

"Of the 40 arrested, eight (8) are females, and 32 are males between the ages of 18 and 35 years. While ten (10) of them are farmers, thirty (30) others claim to be into online marketing," Mr Dada said.

The NIS Comptroller said that during interrogation, it was discovered that all 40 individuals entered Nigeria through unauthorised entry points and lacked proper documentation such as residence cards or travel documents.

Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, has ordered the repatriation of the individuals to their respective countries of origin.

Nigeria's porous borders

Nigeria's porous borders have been a longstanding challenge for the country's security and immigration authorities. In 2013, the federal government revealed the discovery of 1,479 illegal border crossing points.

The country's extensive 4,047 km land border, shared with countries like Cameroon, Chad, Benin, and Niger, makes comprehensive monitoring difficult. This lack of effective border control has facilitated illegal activities, such as smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal migration.

To address these challenges, the federal government launched a N52 billion e-border surveillance system in 2019. The system aims to track and manage border activities in real-time from 80 border posts across the country.