NIS and DSS strengthen border surveillance and intelligence sharing to prevent foreign interference ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Department of State Services (DSS) have pledged to strengthen border surveillance, intelligence gathering and security cooperation ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

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The agencies made the commitment on Friday during a sensitisation workshop at the NIS headquarters in Abuja, which brought together security stakeholders, including the Border Communities Development Agency.

The workshop, themed “The Role of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Election Monitoring and Management”, focused on preventing foreign interference and addressing security threats that could undermine the electoral process.

Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nandap, represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Visa and Residency, Franca Nwanneka, said credible elections required cooperation among institutions responsible for national security.

She stressed that providing a peaceful and secure environment was as important as conducting credible elections.

Nandap said the Immigration Service occupied a strategic position in Nigeria’s security architecture because of its responsibility for border security and migration management.

She urged officers to remain vigilant against irregular migration, migrant smuggling, human trafficking and other transnational criminal activities that could threaten national security.

The NIS chief also reaffirmed the service’s non-partisan position, warning officers against using their official responsibilities or resources to participate in partisan politics.

She charged senior officers, zonal coordinators, comptrollers and heads of formations to ensure their commands were adequately prepared before, during and after the elections.

Nandap identified stronger surveillance, intelligence gathering, effective deployment and closer cooperation with other security agencies as essential to protecting the electoral process.

She said no single agency could independently address the security challenges associated with the elections, calling for timely information sharing and coordinated responses to emerging threats.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi, said border security and the integrity of Nigeria’s migration system had become increasingly important as the country approached the elections.

Ajayi, represented by the Deputy Director-General of Operations and Intelligence, Patrick Ikenweiwe, warned that foreign elements could exploit weaknesses along the country’s borders to move illicit arms, equipment and individuals intending to disrupt the democratic process.

He described the NIS as the first line of national defence in managing such threats and reaffirmed the DSS’s commitment to deeper cooperation through intelligence sharing, joint threat assessments and coordinated operations at land borders and other entry points.

The renewed security collaboration comes amid wider preparations for the 2027 elections and concerns about potential political violence.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has also outlined an intelligence-led security framework involving the police, DSS, military and other agencies to protect voters, election officials and electoral materials.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are expected to take place on February 6, 2027.

Concerns over election-related security have also attracted international attention.

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, recently warned that Nigeria’s January presidential election could heighten tensions and trigger violence.

At a congressional hearing on November 12, US Congressman Riley Moore called for close scrutiny of the election, while Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Riley Barnes, said the US State Department was monitoring electoral developments through a dedicated team.

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The NIS and DSS workshop forms part of efforts to strengthen coordination among security institutions as preparations for the nationwide polls continue.