A senior officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Dr Oluwafemi Adeyemi Badiru has initiated criminal proceedings against the NIS, its Comptroller-General, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, and the Secretary to the Board, Major General Jibrin Abdulmalik (rtd).

He is accusing them of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perversion of justice.

The case, filed at the National Industrial Court, Abuja Division, stems from events that began in July 2019, when Dr Badiru was allegedly brutalised by a colleague, ACI Umar Nasir Mohammed, at the VIP Issuance Unit of the Ikoyi Passport Office while performing his official duties.

According to the complaint, Badiru sustained serious injuries and was abandoned by his superiors, eventually requiring urgent medical attention at the Military Hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The officer claimed that after reporting the assault to the police and undergoing medical evaluation, he returned to work only to be arrested and detained by the NIS. He was then subjected to an unlawful disciplinary procedure, despite having been cleared by an internal investigative committee.

Rather than support him as a victim of workplace violence, Badiru alleges, the accused officials transferred him from Lagos to Abuja and attempted to dismiss him. From that point on, his career progression was allegedly stalled, while the officer who assaulted him was promoted multiple times.

After nearly four years of halted promotions and deteriorating health, Badiru approached the National Industrial Court in 2023 (Suit No: NICN/ABJ/136/2023) seeking redress. The Court ruled in his favour, declaring the disciplinary actions against him unlawful and ordering the NIS to promote him within seven days of the judgment to a rank equivalent to his peers—or higher—and to allow him sit for the 2024 promotion examination. The Court also awarded him N1.2 million in damages for the breach of his fundamental rights.

Despite the judgment, the NIS and the officials involved allegedly refused to promote Dr Badiru after he passed the 2024 promotion exam. Instead, a letter dated September 20, 2024, from the NIS to the promotion board insisted that his advancement be withheld unless he withdrew all legal actions related to the assault and disciplinary ordeal. This condition was imposed despite no ongoing disciplinary proceedings against him.

Badiru’s criminal complaint accuses the defendants of willfully ignoring court orders and obstructing justice, stating that their actions violate several sections of the Criminal Code Act, including Sections 126(1) and 516.

He maintained that their conduct not only undermines the rule of law but also sends a dangerous message to other officers who may seek justice within the system.

He is therefore urging the court to summon the accused to answer the charges, describing the complaint as one filed “in good faith and in the overriding interest of justice.”

The court has adjourned the case to November 6, 2025, for arraignment and hearing.