BREAKING: Police uncover 200 illegal immigrants occupying three-bedroom flat in Kebbi

The Kebbi State Police Command said on Wednesday it uncovered over 200 suspected illegal immigrants living in a three-bedroom flat in the Kuwait area of Birnin Kebbi.

The command’s spokesman,  Nafiu Abubakar, said 165 of the suspects were arrested while the others escaped.

Abubakar, said, “The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation on January 31, 2025, at about 5 p.m., after security operatives uncovered the presence of over 200 individuals living in a three-bedroom flat in the Kuwait area of Birnin Kebbi.

“A team of detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department raided the location and successfully apprehended 165 occupants.”

According to Abubakar, preliminary investigations revealed that all the illegal immigrants are from Francophone West African countries, with the breakdown as follows: Burkina Faso, 35; Benin Republic, 11; Niger Republic, five; Mali, four, and Ivory Coast, 110.

“Further findings showed that none of the individuals possessed valid travel documents, and they were allegedly involved in the Qnet Ponzi scheme, a suspected fraudulent investment platform known for defrauding unsuspecting individuals,” the police spokesman said.

He said following the conclusion of preliminary investigations, the police had handed over the suspect to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kebbi State Command, for further investigations and legal action.

Last week, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said Nigeria deported no fewer than 828 illegal immigrants in 2024 as part of its intensified efforts to combat irregular migration and enhance national security.