THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has suspended, indefinitely, one of its officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Okpravero Ufuoma, for allegedly soliciting financial gratification from a traveller.
This followed a viral video of the officer, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI II), asking a tourist to find him ‘something.’
NIS’s Comptroller General, Mrs. Kemi Nandap, who made this known in a statement issued by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kenneth Udo, on Thursday, August 8, in Abuja, said the officer’s conduct, as captured in the video, does not reflect the values and ethics of professionalism upheld by the Service.
While condemning the alleged misconduct in the strongest terms, the NIS boss said it undermined the ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing service standards, adding that the officer had been pulled out, pending the outcome of disciplinary procedures, in accordance with the law and Public Service Rules.
Nandap explained that NIS received a video currently circulating on social media, titled, ‘This is how Immigration officers treat tourists in Nigeria,” showing one of its officers soliciting financial gratification from a traveller.
She stated: “This disgraceful act is not a representation of our commitment to hospitality, reception and courtesy.
“As a result, the officer in question has been indefinitely suspended, pending the outcome of disciplinary procedures.”
She reiterated the NIS’s commitment to identifying and removing corrupt elements within its ranks, in line with its zero-tolerance for corruption policy, assuring that the Service would continue to strive for excellence in service delivery, in alignment with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the Federal Government.
Nandap said electronic gates (e-gates) were being installed at all international airports to facilitate smoother travel for passengers and prevent incidents like the one involving the suspended officer.
She urged the public to report any form of misconduct or corruption by its officers to the appropriate authorities.
