ABUJA – The Federal Government has ordered the arrest of some past public officers including former Governors, Ministers and Lawmakers who have refused to return their diplomatic passports and other official documents.
Consequently, the new Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Muhammad Babandede, has vowed to apply sanctions on those who refused to surrender their travelling documents to the Service.
The NIS Boss made the vow at his maiden briefing with top management staff of the NIS in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, “In view of the earlier publication for return of official/diplomatic passports by former political office holders and retired public servants, it must be noted that charges will be pressed against unauthorized holders of such documents.
“This is because, such persons are no longer in the eligibility list and are, therefore, in contravention of Section 10 of the extant Immigration Act, 2015.
“I am, hereby, directing that unauthorized holders of such passports be arrested at the airports and other points of entry/departure. Efforts will be made also to trace such unauthorized holders in their given addresses.”
He said, 158 diplomatic passports and 310 official passports have so far been retrieved. The CG also read the riot act to personnel who would want to continue in the past, saying it was no longer going to be business as usual.
Babandede spoke further, “I am aware of money being extorted from the hands of passport applicants and at various borders/check points in the country. What is happening in the liberated territories in the North East is most disturbing to me.”
On Illegal check points and extortion, he said, “Heartless Immigration officers set illegal check points at hinterland to bully and extort money from citizens already devastated by Boko Haram insurgency. I will not accept this Service to be the second grade of Boko Haram.”
On Anti-corruption squad: “I am setting an anti-corruption squad, but before this, I will hold the zonal coordinators and Comptrollers responsible. I do not want your blood money, as organized crime law enforcement called ‘returns’.
“We will also do our best to send the limited resources available for operations to avoid operatives funding job with corrupt monies.
“Suddenly, under our very eyes, the NIS ship started drifting in the wrong direction. Indiscipline and corruption became the order of the day. The leadership became helpless with pressures on postings and deployments. Absenteeism became the norm in supposedly “non-lucrative” posts.”
