The federal government of Nigeria has advocated for internationally harmonised laws on cyber-enabled organised immigration crimes.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said this on Tuesday in London.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said this while addressing global leaders during the Border Security Summit on tackling organised immigration crimes. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted the summit.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said the proposed laws include common definitions of penalties for online human trafficking and migrants. They also include exponential agreements on cybercriminals operating across multiple jurisdictions and the assessment of laws to dismantle financial links that fuel illegal migration.

“Nigeria calls for real-time content moderation to detect and remove recruiting advertisements for human smuggling and trafficking. Stronger reporting mechanisms for law enforcement to assess critical data on suspicious accounts.

“AI-driven early warning systems to flag illicit migration-related content before it spreads,” Mr Tunji-Ojo said.

He said there was a need for technology companies to enforce stricter regulations to prevent their platforms from becoming recruitment hubs for human trafficking migrants.

“Big tech companies must be more accountable for the misuse of their platforms by criminal gangs. Organised criminal networks are weaponised digital platforms to facilitate irregular migration, human trafficking and other forms of transnational crime.

“Technology has enabled these groups to expand their reach, target vulnerable populations and evade law enforcement agencies, hence the need for international organisations to prioritise digital intelligence sharing,” he said.

The minister added that no country was immune to the threats posed by online criminal recruitment, as the borderless nature of digital crime requires a coordinated international response.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria was taking decisive actions to curb online criminal activities leading to migration and organised crime.

He said Nigeria recognised the growing interconnection between survivor-included crime and global migration threats, requiring a proactive, intelligence-driven and collaborative approach.

He added that Nigeria was investing in cyber-forensic training for immigration security agencies to track, investigate and neutralise digital recruitment networks.

(NAN)