Group petitions Buhari alleging bribe-for-posting ‘scam’ in NIS

A human rights group has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that Martin Abeshi, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), receives $20,000 each as bribe from officers to post them to Nigeria’s missions abroad.

The group, Youth Education on Human Right and Civic Responsibility, also alleged that Abeshi flouted the federal character principle in approving the list of officers to be stationed abroad.

But the service has denied the allegations, accusing disgruntled officers as the purveyors.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, Friday Maduka, coordinator of the group, reeled off the alleged infractions of the immigration boss.

“There are sufficient evidence that the recent foreign posting released by the Nigeria Immigration Service is pervaded by those with disciplinary records with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” he alleged.

“Similarly, there are those who paid huge sums of money to have their names in the foreign posting list.

“Surprisingly, it is disheartening to know that a sizeable number of those in the list released are just newly recruited into the service since December, 2015- officers that can hardly differentiate their left from their right, they are not yet acquainted with the nitty-gritty of the service.

“It is on the record that the total number of officers in the original posting order to foreign countries was 48, contrary to 50, which is the number of officers who are currently undergoing induction training. Upon this investigation, it was discovered that two officers who paid money to be included in the list were hither to not included, and were threatening to expose the comptroller-general and his cohorts before they quickly settled to commence induction training with others.

“More so, those that paid money to buy their way into the list went into a strong covenant with the comptroller-general and his cohorts that their first allowance which amount to the total sum of $20, 000 each will be paid to the comptroller-general and his cohorts.

“Principle of the federal character was flouted as most of the states of the federation were not considered while others are having more than 10 slots on the strength that their relatives are the controlling force in either the ministry or the service.”

Speaking with TheCable, King Ekpedeme, spokesman of the immigration, described the allegations as false.

He explained that the responsibility of generating a list of officers for foreign posting was the decision of a high-powered committee, hence the comptroller-general could not have influenced the process.

He also said that the purveyors of the allegations were some disgruntled officers, who felt that it was their right to be included in the list.