NIS suspend officer begging money at Lagos airport

• Published On: 08 August 2024 at 14:55

The Nigeria Immigration Service has suspended an officer indefinitely after he was caught soliciting a passenger for cash aid at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

This was revealed in a statement signed by Comptroller General Kemi Nana Nandap on Wednesday, according to Nairametrics.

This comes after a widely shared video on Nigerian social media showed Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI 2) Okpravero C. Ufuoma being discreetly filmed soliciting for money while on duty by a tourist wearing camera-equipped eyeglasses.

According to the statement, the NIS criticised the officer's actions as reprehensible and inconsistent with current changes aimed at improving the Service's integrity and professionalism.

"We desire to tell the public that the actions of the officer, Okpravero C. Ufuoma, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI 2) at Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, does not reflect the NIS's professional principles and ethics.

"The NIS strongly condemns this wrongdoing, which undermines current changes aimed at improving our service standards. This heinous conduct does not reflect our dedication to hospitality, welcoming, and courtesy," the statement stated in part.

NIS also stated: "As a result, the officer has been indefinitely suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary procedures, which are in the accordance with the law and Public Service Rules."

The statement also stated that electronic gates, or "e-gates," are being placed at all five of the country's international airports to improve passenger flow and reduce incidents of airport staff begging.

Instances of improper conduct by NIS immigration officers are not unique to Nigeria. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, recently replied to an increasing number of complaints from Nigerians resident in London about an alleged $300 fee for expedited passport processing at the Nigerian Embassy.

However, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has rejected these accusations, stating that there are no extra fees linked with the official processes of getting a Nigerian passport overseas.