The Kebbi State Police Command has reported the discovery of over 200 suspected illegal immigrants living in a three-bedroom flat in the Kuwait area of Birnin Kebbi. In a statement on Wednesday, the command’s spokesman, Nafiu Abubakar, revealed that 165 of the suspects were arrested, while the rest managed to escape.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation on January 31, 2025, at approximately 5 p.m., after security operatives uncovered the large group living in the flat. A team of detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department conducted the raid, apprehending 165 individuals in the process.
According to Abubakar, preliminary investigations indicated that the immigrants were from several Francophone West African countries. The breakdown of their nationalities is as follows: 35 from Burkina Faso, 11 from Benin Republic, 5 from Niger Republic, 4 from Mali, and 110 from Ivory Coast.
Further investigations revealed that none of the individuals possessed valid travel documents, and they were allegedly involved in the Qnet Ponzi scheme, a fraudulent investment platform known for defrauding unsuspecting victims.
Following the preliminary investigation, the police have handed over the suspects to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kebbi State Command, for further inquiries and legal proceedings.
This operation comes amid a broader national effort to curb irregular migration. Last week, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed that Nigeria had deported at least 828 illegal immigrants in 2024 as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national security.
