Immigration drags 84 officers to ICPC over certificates

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has dragged 84 of its officers to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences related Commission (ICPC) to assist it verify the credentials presented by the officers, some of which are suspected to be fake. Sources close to the office of the Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede, told Daily […]

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has dragged 84 of its officers to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences related Commission (ICPC) to assist it verify the credentials presented by the officers, some of which are suspected to be fake.

Sources close to the office of the Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede, told Daily Trust that while some of the officers were being referred to the ICPC for the verification of the original certificates they used in joining the service, others were being probed over additional qualifications they claimed to have obtained while in service.

The source said the idea of involving the ICPC was for discreet investigation and to avoid covering up any of the officers suspected to have fraudulently obtained a certificate for promotion or used a fake one to join the service.

“Most of the officers affected are people who presented themselves along with suspicious credentials for promotion in the recent promotion exercise conducted this July nationwide by the Civil Defence, Fire service, Prisons and Immigration Service board. As you can see in the list I just gave you, the 84 officers cut across various ranks, sex, from different states and with credentials, mainly degree certificates from institutions from within and outside Nigeria.

“The ICPC is a neutral body that will conduct its assignment without favour or witch-hunt. Yes, you may say the immigration can independently do the verification. You know very well that if we are to probe ourselves, definitely some people will attempt to cover others. We do not want that to happen,” the source said. 

Some officers of the service whose name appeared on the list said it was wrong for a foreign body such as the ICPC to be invited to probe their credentials when the ICPC had never invited the immigration to probe the nationalities of its operatives.

The officers who pleaded for anonymity for fear of victimisation said majority of them got the approval of the service to further their education, though some of them working in university communities used the opportunity to further their education without it necessarily affecting their jobs.

A female officer said: “My problem started because of my change of name. I joined the service with my native name and my father’s name as my surname. While in the service I got married to someone of the opposite religion. I wilfully converted to my husband’s religion and changed my name to a name befitting my religion. I also changed my surname from my father’s name to my husband’s name after the necessary court affidavit and formalities. I used the new name to further my education and obtain additional qualification. That is the genesis of my problem. I am confident if my bosses in immigration fail to understand, the ICPC officials will understand. There is no forgery in my case,” she said.

Efforts to reach the immigration public relations officer, Sunday James and assistant Comptroller of Immigrations Service were not successful as he neither picked his call nor replied the text message sent to him.