The Nigerian Immigration Service on Friday dismissed eight of its personnel from the service for various offenses related to indiscipline, employment extortion and other forms of corrupt practices. Also, 18 officers were sanctioned for the same reason.
Last month, the Comptroller General, SH, Isa Idris, ordered an investigation into the extortion case committed by the officers of the agency at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikaja, Lagos.
The order follows a recent outcry about Twitter by a Nigerian traveling to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who alleged massive extortion of Nigerians under the age of 40 traveling to the Gulf city. Idris also ordered a “withdrawal” of the entire Torah shift at the time of the incident.
A statement on Friday by Kenneth Kor, Chief Inspector of Immigration in the Public Relations Unit, on behalf of the Comptroller-General, Isa Idris, noted that 100 of its personnel working at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have been deployed from the airport with immediate effect.
Idris noted that the staff’s conduct remained grossly inappropriate and unacceptable as members of the service.
According to him, the decision was made following the approval given by the Council of Civil Defense, Incarceration, Fire and Immigration.
The chief inspector of immigration was ordered to take mandatory retirement and nine others were demoted.
The court “After exhaustive discussions in the committees, eight people, one chief inspector of immigration, two deputy inspectors of immigration, two assistant inspectors of immigration B and three ranks, were immediately dismissed from the service.”
Reacting to the development, a father of three whose two sons are studying in the United Kingdom, Yom Mon Joseph, while applauding the immigration move, stated that he was the happiest man to hear the news.
According to him, “My sons always have to travel with extra cash because the immigration officers always extort money from them. The last time was a few months ago. I was so angry that if it wasn’t for the amount I paid as school fees, I would have prevented them from traveling together. I say kudos to the immigration leadership. I am all So happy.”
Another traveler, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was happy that at least he and other travelers could now travel without fear of extortion.
Likewise, a traveler, Okeke Solomon, who claimed to have experienced extortion at the hands of immigration officers while traveling out and back, stated that the development was late.
Solomon said, “Immigration should fire more errant officers so that the others will know that they are not above the law.”
