Cameroonian and Congolese nationals were arrested at different locations after intelligence-led operations, with officials beginning profiling for repatriation
The Nigeria Immigration Service, Osun State Command, on Friday, August 21, 2026, paraded 55 irregular migrants from Cameroon and Congo arrested at different locations across the state, following intelligence-led operations targeting undocumented foreign nationals.
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The Osun Comptroller of Immigration, Ibrahim Akinyemi, said the migrants were arrested after the command received intelligence about their presence and movements in the state.
According to Akinyemi, the migrants entered Nigeria through unauthorised routes and were found without travel documents during profiling.
“These people are about 55. They are irregular migrants. They were arrested and brought here for repatriation. They came in through an unauthorised route,” Akinyemi told journalists after the parade.
He said the operation was carried out following a directive from the service headquarters through the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Akinyemi explained that officers first located the migrants’ residences before bringing them to the command for documentation checks and further investigation.
“We have to profile, check their documents, to know which ones are eligible, or that are legal that can be regularised,” he said.
The command subsequently determined that none of those paraded had travel documents, including ordinary passports.
Akinyemi also alleged that the migrants were involved in an online business which had not been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Some of the migrants were traced to accommodation in Owode-Ede, while immigration officials said further efforts were underway to identify other undocumented migrants who might be living elsewhere in the state.
During questioning, the migrants reportedly told officials that they were involved in an online business known as QNET but did not provide further details about the nature of their activities.
The immigration authorities also said they would investigate individuals suspected of facilitating the migrants’ entry and movement into Osun.
“They also claimed to have come through Yola, Adamawa State. By the grace of God, we are taking them back to where they came from,” Akinyemi said.
One of the migrants, Ismail Mohammed, a Cameroonian national, told journalists that he arrived in Osun in February 2026 after receiving an invitation from a woman living in Chad to engage in online business in Nigeria.
The immigration command said the latest operation was only the beginning of a wider exercise aimed at identifying and addressing irregular migration in the state.
The development comes amid broader concerns among Nigerian authorities about undocumented migration, unauthorised entry routes and the activities of foreign nationals operating outside established regulatory frameworks.
In a separate incident, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kwara State Command, previously arrested 12 suspected illegal immigrants from Mali in the Akerebiata area of Ilorin.
The suspects were arrested at about 10pm on February 22, 2025, following information from residents.
The NSCDC said the 12 men were occupying a two-bedroom apartment reportedly rented through a local agent under circumstances considered suspicious.
The suspects were identified as Umar Sangari, 25; Bubu Bill, 43; Modibo Keita, 26; Mahmud Jaalo, 22; Bakare Sumonu, 20; Saiku Dubia, 28; Panda Aboubacar, 32; Malle Siaka, 24; Seku Barry, 34; Lamine Bakou, 27; Baye Bolly, 24; and Zuman Traore, 26.
The Osun operation, however, highlights the importance of distinguishing between irregular immigration status and criminal conduct.
Lack of valid immigration documentation may constitute an immigration offence, but further allegations concerning business activities or other wrongdoing require appropriate investigation and due process.
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The immigration authorities said the 55 migrants would undergo further profiling to determine their status and eligibility for any lawful regularisation before repatriation procedures are pursued.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
