NIS suspends officer over alleged bribe solicitation

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has suspended Okpravero Ufuoma, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI II) for allegedly soliciting financial gratification from a traveller.

NIS’s Comptroller General, Mrs Kemi Nandap, made this known in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Kenneth Udo on Thursday in Abuja.

According to Nandap, the officer’s conduct, captured in a video circulating on social media, does not reflect the values and ethics of professionalism upheld by the NIS.

She condemned the alleged misconduct in the strongest terms, saying that it undermined the ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing service standards.

She, however, assured that the officer had been indefinitely suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary procedures, in accordance with the law and Public Service Rules.

She said 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.

“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 said.

The NIS boss reiterated the NIS’s commitment to identifying and removing corrupt elements within its ranks, in line with its zero-tolerance for corruption policy.

The comptroller general also assured that the NIS would continue to strive for excellence in service delivery, in alignment with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the Federal Government.

Nandap added that 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.