The figures, disclosed by Malaysia’s Immigration Director-General, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, in an interview with local newspaper Utusan Malaysia, placed Nigerians at the top of the list of African nationals arrested during the period.

Uganda recorded the second-highest number with 13 arrests, followed by Kenya with 10 and Ghana with eight. Other nationals arrested included six each from Somalia and Tanzania, four from Senegal, three from Algeria, two each from Burkina Faso, Togo and The Gambia, as well as one each from Guinea, Zimbabwe and Libya.

Shaaban said the most common immigration violation involved entering or remaining in Malaysia without a valid pass or permit, an offence under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. A total of 85 people were arrested over the violation, including 47 Nigerians.

Another 23 individuals were detained for overstaying their authorised period under Section 15(1)(c) of the Act, while three others were arrested for violating the conditions attached to their immigration passes under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.

The immigration authorities also arrested a Nigerian national over the alleged possession of forged documents under Section 56(1)(l) of the Immigration Act.

In a related enforcement action during the same period, an Algerian employer was arrested under Section 55B for allegedly employing foreign workers without valid immigration passes.

Shaaban said the enforcement operations were part of Malaysia’s continued efforts to tackle undocumented migration and ensure that employers and other individuals who employ or accommodate foreign nationals without proper documentation are held accountable.

The reported figures did not identify the Nigerians arrested or specify the locations where the individual arrests took place.

The development comes amid broader immigration enforcement activities across Malaysia, as authorities continue to target foreigners suspected of violating the country’s immigration laws and businesses allegedly involved in accommodating or employing undocumented migrants.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia