The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has suspended Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI II), Okpravero Ufuoma, for allegedly soliciting financial gratification from a traveller.
NIS Comptroller General, Mrs. Kemi Nandap, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kenneth Udo, on Thursday in Abuja.
Nandap stated that 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 it undermines the ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing service standards.
Nandap assured that the officer had been indefinitely suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary procedures, in accordance with the law and Public Service Rules.
“We received a video currently circulating on social media titled ‘This is how Immigration officers treat tourists in Nigeria,’ showing one of our officers soliciting financial gratification from a traveller,” Nandap said. “This disgraceful act is not a representation of our commitment to hospitality, reception, and courtesy.”
She 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, aligning 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.
