Nigeria’s immigration authorities warned citizens on Monday not to leave the country without valid travel documents, saying anyone who tries to travel outside the rules is exposing themselves to serious risks. DCI AS Akinlabi posted the alert on X, telling Nigerians that all international travel must be done with a valid passport, a travel visa where required and other approved immigration papers.
The Nigeria Immigration Service said traveling without the right documents is illegal, and that attempts to bypass official procedures or use unauthorised border routes violate Nigerian law. The agency also warned that there is no legitimate travel process that skips official immigration checks or border posts.
That warning matters because the service said it is seeing a sharp increase in fraudulent migration schemes and irregular cross-border syndicates operating across Nigeria. The networks, it said, are increasingly targeting vulnerable people, especially young women and girls, with false promises of employment, education and better living conditions abroad.
The service said those schemes often end badly. It warned that they can lead to forced labour, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, and urged Nigerians to verify travel and recruitment offers through official channels rather than through unregistered agents or private intermediaries. Kemi Nandap, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, said criminal networks often target vulnerable individuals with deceptive offers of work, schooling and a better life overseas, and added: “No genuine travel process bypasses official immigration procedures or authorised border posts.”
The warning also gives the public a direct path to report suspicious activity. People were told to contact the nearest Immigration Service formation or other relevant security agencies if they see suspicious border movements or recruitment offers, and the service said reports can also be made through round-the-clock contact numbers. The message is plain: for Nigerians hoping to travel abroad, the safest route is still the lawful one, and the agency says anything that promises to shortcut it is a trap.
