The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is to investigate the allegation of bribery levelled against its personnel along the Nation’s borders.
The Public Relations Officer of NIS, Mr Sunday James, in a statement on Friday, reacted to a report that with just N200 bribe per immigration checkpoint, illegal migrants were infiltrating Nigeria through Sokoto.
James said that the Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Mr Muhammad Babandede, had assured that the alleged acts would be investigated.
“Considering the gravity of the accusation, the CGI has ordered that a comprehensive investigation into the allegation be carried out and the recommendations immediately forwarded to his office for immediate action,“ he said.
James said that the progress and continual giant strides being recorded daily by 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.
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 per cent of the total number of migrants registered, adding that 35,000 representing 34 per cent were regular migrants.”
The statement assured that any personnel found to have been involved in the ignoble act, will face the consequences as prescribed by the law.
It advised well-meaning Nigerians 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.
