Connect with us


BIG STORY

Shocker As Immigration CG Disguises As Passport Applicant In Lagos, Apprehends Corrupt Officers In Ikoyi

Published

on

The Acting Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isa Jere Idris, on Monday, disguised as an applicant for an international passport at the Lagos State Command, Ikoyi, where he alleged that some officers of the service offered to engage in shady deals with him.

According to Premium Times, Mr Idris said he decided to walk in unannounced in order to gain firsthand experience of what Nigerians are going through “in the hands of unscrupulous officers of NIS.”

The acting CG said when he assumed office in September, he had pledged to tackle three things including addressing the challenges faced by Nigerians in their efforts to procure international passports, enhance border security and improve workers’ welfare.

He said his unscheduled visit to Ikoyi on Monday was to confirm the allegations against officers of the immigration offices in Lagos State including Ikoyi, Ikeja, and FESTAC town.

Ikoyi Experience

He said when he approached the officers at the Ikoyi command, he was given various high prices for the different categories of passports.

“When I approached the officers, they offered me the menu without recognizing me. They said 32 pages of the international passport for five years would cost me N45,000 instead of N27,000. They said 64 pages for five years would cost me N55,000 instead of N37,000, and N95,000 for 64 pages for 10 years instead of N72,000.

“I was asked where I was from and I said Niger State. They also asked me if I had a letter of indigeneship and other documents and I said I didn’t have anyone. So they said they would collect N3,500 to provide all the documents for me,” he said.

The immigration boss said as of the time of speaking to Premium Times correspondent on the phone, the officers were yet to know who he was, and that the Comptroller for Lagos Command of the service, Bauchi Aliyu, was surprised when he eventually showed up in his office.

“You know he just returned to Lagos from Abuja. He didn’t know that I was coming to town. So he is still shocked as I am talking to you,” he said.

Mr Idris said the lesson will help the service to strengthen the passport issuance process, saying having an international passport of a country confers nationality on its holder and so it must have integrity.

“So with what I have experienced firsthand today, it simply means that anybody can come in from anywhere and obtain our passport. This is unacceptable. So I can assure you that the Immigration Service under our watch will strengthen the issuance process and the integrity of the document,” the acting CG said.

Mr Idris said in the next two weeks the service with the support of the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, will launch an appointment platform for applicants, saying the idea of anybody approaching passport offices anytime for issuance cannot continue.

He said: “The document has integrity and so the processes of issuing it must have integrity. We must verify the attached relevant documents because with what I saw this morning anybody can claim to be who he or she is not.

“So within a maximum of three weeks passport renewal must be done, but we must also ensure relevant background checks on the applicants especially based on their letters of indigeneship and birth certificates. What they do with these documents by the syndicates is to backdate them.”

He said except in some exceptional cases, there is nowhere in the world where passports are produced in one day, saying Nigeria must adopt global best practices in order to ensure the integrity of our documents and their sanctity.

“If you claim you are from Kano or Rivers we must find out if your claims are true or not,” he added.

Officers Caught

He said the officers caught in the act during his unscheduled visit have been documented and that they would be disciplined accordingly.

“The laws are there, and so they will be made to face the law. There are about three of them but we are very sure that it is an organized crime. They are not alone but further investigations would reveal that,” he said.

The acting comptroller-general said the interior minister is working hard towards achieving his mandates of securing the nation’s border lines through the agencies under him including the immigration service and that the difficulties being experienced by Nigerians in procuring passports would soon become a thing of the past.

Mr Idris said he was committed to addressing the challenge of corruption in the service.

 

Advertisement

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Ade

    October 18, 2021 at 7:53 pm

    Thus is a commendable step by the agCG may God continue to embolden you to do what is right. I hope the outcome will be as envisioned! This is really great encouraging that minister of interior support this integrity drive.

  2. Temitope Onigbinde

    October 19, 2021 at 10:39 am

    Gbam…..bush meat don finally catch hunter

    I like that move by the Acting CG

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

BIG STORY

Adron Homes Chairman Congratulates Oyo State on 50 Years of Progress

Published

on

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Adron Homes and Properties Limited, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, has congratulated the Government and people of Oyo State as the state marks its 50th anniversary, describing the occasion as a celebration of resilience, cultural pride, and sustained progress.

He noted that since its creation, Oyo State has remained a strong contributor to Nigeria’s socio-economic and cultural development, emerging as a hub of commerce, education, and innovation.

According to him, the Golden Jubilee offers a moment for reflection and renewed commitment by government, private sector players, traditional institutions, and citizens toward building a more inclusive and prosperous state.

Aare Emmanuelking commended the state’s ongoing transformation through investments in infrastructure, economic expansion, and human capital development, adding that sustainable growth is deliberate and must remain purpose-driven.

He also praised the leadership of the current administration while acknowledging the contributions of past leaders whose efforts laid the foundation for today’s Oyo State.

Reaffirming Adron Homes’ commitment to national development, he described Oyo State as a land of opportunity. He wished the state continued peace and prosperity, expressing confidence that the next fifty years will bring even greater achievements for the Pace Setter State and its people.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Resident Doctors Give Federal Government Four Weeks To Meet Demands

Published

on

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a four-week ultimatum to the federal government to fully implement outstanding agreements on salaries, allowances and welfare.

The decision was taken at the end of the association’s national executive council (NEC) meeting and scientific conference, held from January 25 to 29, 2026, in Jos, Plateau state.

In a communiqué signed by Mohammad Suleiman, NARD president, the association expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, and other key stakeholders for their roles in ongoing engagements.

The NEC acknowledged the reinstatement of disengaged doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, and commended the intervention of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS) on the outstanding 25 and 35 percent consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS) and accoutrement allowance arrears.

NARD also noted that promotion and salary arrears had been forwarded to relevant authorities, with assurances from the minister of finance that payments would be expedited.

However, the association expressed concern over delays in circulating the directive affirming CONMESS 3 as the approved entry level for medical doctors.

It also decried the non-payment of the professional allowance provided for in the 2026 Appropriation Act and persistent salary arrears across several health institutions.

The association warned of worsening industrial relations at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital. It demanded urgent action, alongside calls for improved welfare, timely release of training funds and renewed investment in health infrastructure nationwide.

“The NEC demands the expeditious clearance of the outstanding 25%/35% CONMESS arrears and accoutrement allowance arrears within the assured two weeks, as committed by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), following the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment,” the communique reads.

“The NEC demands the prompt payment of all promotion arrears already forwarded to the appropriate authorities, in line with the assurances of the Honourable Minister of Finance for payment within the next four (4) weeks.

“The NEC demands the expedited payment of all outstanding salary arrears owed to specific centres, which have been duly forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Finance for processing, within the assured four (4) week timeline.

“After exhaustive deliberations and in recognition of the progress made by the Federal Government towards addressing the legitimate demands of Nigerian resident doctors, the NEC has resolved to extend the suspension of the Total Indefinite Comprehensive Strike (TICS) for a further period of four (4) weeks as a further goodwill gesture, to allow for the full implementation of the Association’s demands.”

The association had earlier suspended its plan to commence another strike on January 12.

The doctors said this was done after firm commitments from critical stakeholders following Shettima’s intervention.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Lagos Couple Stages Self-Kidnap To Raise Funds For Husband’s US Return Ticket, Arrested With N10m Ransom

Published

on

A Lagos-based couple, identified simply as Fred and Goodness, have been arrested for allegedly staging their own kidnap and extorting N10m in ransom from their families and friends.

According to Punch Newspaper, the couple faked the abduction on January 7 to solicit funds for the husband, who intended to return to the United States due to a lack of financial support.

A police source who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday said the suspects contacted relatives on both sides of the family and claimed they had been kidnapped while demanding ransom.

The source added that the families raised N10m within three days, believing the money was meant to secure their release.

“The couple faked their kidnapping, thereby calling on friends and families for contributions towards the ransom payment. And what happened was, according to them, the husband wanted to travel back to the US, and he needed some money, but their sponsors were not forthcoming, so they planned it together that maybe by the time they do that, they’ll be able to raise some money.”

Speaking on their arrest, another police source in the command said the couple arranged a meeting at a school in Cappa, Mushin, Lagos, where the ransom was to be delivered.

“Operatives monitoring the area noticed the woman entering the premises alone, while the man arrived separately moments later. However, suspicion was raised when both suspects later emerged together carrying a bag.

“The operatives stopped them, searched the bag, and discovered the ransom money, prompting their immediate arrest. The wife said she was the one who encouraged the husband to make them plot the kidnap.”

The suspects were subsequently handed over to the police, where investigations confirmed that the incident was a case of self-kidnap.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Addebisi, confirmed the incident.

She said, “The couple will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.”

The incident added to the growing number of self-orchestrated abduction cases uncovered by law enforcement.

 

Continue Reading


 

 


 

 

 

 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular


Warning: Undefined array key "slug" in /home/porsch10/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-theme-json.php on line 2117

Warning: Undefined array key "slug" in /home/porsch10/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-theme-json.php on line 2117

Warning: Undefined array key "slug" in /home/porsch10/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-theme-json.php on line 2117