The Nigerian government has confirmed the arrest of several individuals listed as wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) within the country.
According to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the arrests were made at Nigerian airports and involved suspects on INTERPOL’s red notice list.
He revealed that the individuals were apprehended at the point of entry into Nigeria, all within a span of two days.
Speaking in Lagos at a regional workshop on Maritime Border Security, the minister highlighted the role of Nigeria’s upgraded security infrastructure in facilitating the arrests.
“We’ve developed a strong and efficient database system, and we’re beginning to see its benefits. Just recently, in a matter of two days, multiple people on the INTERPOL red list were intercepted at our airports,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
He noted that the suspects arrived from countries such as Italy and Ireland, among others.
“Eighteen years ago, these individuals would have slipped in unnoticed. But now, our air terminals are integrated into a centralized system, making such detections possible,” he added.