Nigeria Immigration removes passport officers after Comptroller’s undercover inspection

The passport control officer at the Ikoyi passport office under the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Ibrahim Liman, a deputy comptroller of immigration, has been removed.

The development is a follow-up to a recent undercover investigation by the NIS acting comptroller general, Isa Idris, who disguised on October 18 as a passport applicant and gained firsthand knowledge of underhand deals by some of his officers.

Mr Liman’s counterparts at the Ikeja and FESTAC Town passport offices of the NIS, N.J Dashe and Adeola Adesokan respectively, have also been removed from their offices.

While Mr Liman and Adesokan have been transferred to the service headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, Mr Dashe has been transferred to the zone ‘A’ command of the service which covers both Ogun and Lagos states.

A deputy comptroller of immigration service, Abolupe Oladoyin Bewaji, has been appointed as Mr Liman’s replacement while Mr Dashe and Mrs Adesokan were replaced by R.L Bukar and S. Umar, both of whom are also deputy comptrollers of immigration.

The new posting is contained in an internal memo exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES and titled, “Senior Staff Posting Order.”

The memo, signed by the deputy comptroller general of NIS in charge of human resources, A.B Yarima, noted that the new posting is with immediate effect.

“I am directed to convey approval for the following posting with immediate effect,” the memo reads in part, listing eight officers concerned.

Other officers affected

Also affected in the new reshuffle include A.I Bambale, who has been moved from zone ‘A’ command to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.