The Nigeria Immigration Service NIS has dismissed eight of its personnel and sanctioned 18 others for various offences ranging from indiscipline to employment racketeering and other forms of corrupt practices.
In addition, about 100 of officers and men hitherto attached to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos have been redeployed pending the determination of allegations of bribery levelled against them by a traveller.
A statement signed by Kenneth Kure, a Chief Superintendent of Immigration on behalf of the Comptroller General, Isah Idris Jere said the decision was taken following the approval granted by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), which noted that “the conducts of the personnel have remained grossly unbecoming and unacceptable as members of the Service.”
According to Kure, a total of 35 personnel had earlier been presented before both the Senior Disciplinary Committee (SDC) and Orderly Room Trial (ORT) processes “to ascertain their level of culpability in the various allegations of offences against discipline ranging from employment racketeering, sharp practices, dishonest conducts, absent from duty without official leave (AWOL) among others, as preferred against them.”
Part of the statement reads; “After exhaustive deliberations by the committees, eight personnel comprising one Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI), two Deputy Superintendents of Immigration (DSI), two Assistant Superintendents of Immigration II (ASI2) and three rank and file were summarily dismissed from the Service.
“Furthermore, one other Chief Superintendent of Immigration was ordered to proceed on compulsory retirement while nine other personnel were demoted in rank. They include one Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI2) who has been demoted to the rank of Inspector of Immigration, two Inspectors who have been reduced in rank to Assistant Inspectors and six (6) other junior personnel who have been ordered to lose their current ranks.
“Meanwhile, nine other personnel comprising one Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI2) and eight (8) junior personnel were issued warning letters just as six personnel were discharged and acquitted from all the allegations brought against them.”
In October, a traveller, with the Twitter handle @derby__, narrated her experience at the airport in Lagos, accusing some officials of the agency of extortion and bribery.
Displaying a picture of one of the accused, she said the officers had lied to her that since she was not yet 40 years old, she would not be allowed into the United Arab Emirates.
She said she eventually gave N10,000 bribe to the officers but advised intending young travellers to be wary of the NIS officers at the airport. (Vanguard)