The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has apprehended 51 irregular Malian immigrants in New Nyanya, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, which borders the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The operation, based on credible intelligence, targeted hideouts in the area, leading to the arrest of the individuals, who are aged between 17 and 25.

According to NIS Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, among those arrested, 11 are females and 40 are males. Preliminary investigations suggest that these migrants may be victims of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM). None of them possessed valid travel documents or residence permits during the initial interrogation.

Akinlabi stated that the migrants are currently in the custody of the NIS and are undergoing further profiling and investigation. The arrest comes at a time when Mali, along with Niger Republic and Burkina Faso, has exited the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This exit impacts the visa-free travel previously afforded to Malian citizens within the ECOWAS member states, including Nigeria.