NIS to investigate bribery allegation at border checkpoints

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is set to investigate the allegation of bribery against its personnel along the Nation’s borders.

This was revealed via a statement released by the Public Relations Officer of NIS,  Sunday James, on Friday in Abuja.

An online media (not Politics Nigeria) had alleged that with just N200 bribe per immigration checkpoint, illegal migrants entered the country through Sokoto.

According to the report, NIS officials at patrol checkpoints on various Nigerian highways have indirectly ‘legalised’ illegal migration with their cash-for-pass attitudes.

Considering the gravity of the allegation, James said that the Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Muhammad Babandede, had assured that the alleged acts would be investigated.

This led the CGI to order that a comprehensive investigation into the allegation be carried out, and the recommendations immediately forwarded to his office for immediate action.

Despite the allegation, James said that the progress and continual giant strides of the service was worthy of commendation.

“We are yet to attain the peak and standard we are projecting to take the service as an elite service serving the greater majority of the country’s elites and the international communities.

“It is pertinent to note that the NIS under the leadership of Muhammad Babandede is doing everything possible to rid the system of bad eggs which are giving the service bad name,” he said.

While stating that the service would never join hands with perpetrators and allowed the good work of the service to be destroyed by some unscrupulous elements painting the service bad, James He said that the service would not relent on its effort having recorded achievements on border control and migration management at various commands across the country.

“Conscious of the existence of irregular migrants in the country, the service commenced e-registration of migrants into the country after President Muhammadu Buhari had given a deadline of January 2020 in line with the six months.

“No fewer than 80,000 migrants have been registered in the migrants e-registration database since its inception in July.

“45,000 were irregular migrants representing 66 percent of the total number of migrants registered, adding that 35,000 representing 34 percent were regular migrants.

“The objective of the migrants’ e-registration was to allow the Nigerian government to know precisely the total number of migrants’ residents in the country as well as their status.

“The migrants’ data would also assist the government in sociopolitical and National demographic growth plans,” he said.

He added that the service would investigate the authenticity of the video and fish out the unwanted elements within the service.

“Without prejudice to the outcome of the investigation, the CGI wishes to assure members of the public that if any personnel is found to have been involved in the ignoble act, the culprit(s) will face the consequences as prescribed by the law,” he said.

He also advised the public to report cases of extortion or any form of illegalities around the borders, as NIS would not hesitate to take appropriate actions against such officials.