For ex-governors and former ministers who are yet to return their diplomatic and official passports, the new sheriff in town in person of the new Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede is planning to arrest the culprits involved.
It was gathered that the new helmsman at the Immigration was given the matching orders by the Federal Government in Abuja on Monday.
Babandede who spoke with newsmen at the maiden meeting with his men said, the Service has so far retrieved about 158 diplomatic passports and 310 of passports.
The service also placed a ban on the writing of petitions by its officers, saying an avenue will be created monthly to hear views of aggrieved officers without being punished for such views.
He also warned officers to desist from extorting money from passport applicants at various borders/check points across the country.
Justifying the need for the order, he said: “I express my appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for my appointment to lead the NIS at this critical time of our national development. In view of the earlier publication for return of official /diplomatic passports by former political office holders and retired public servants, it must be noted that charges will be pressed against unauthorised holders of such documents. This is because, such persons are no longer in the eligibility list and therefore in contradiction of S.10 of the extant Immigration Act 2015.
“I am hereby directing that unauthorised holders of such passports be arrested at the Airports and other points of entry/departure. Efforts will be made also to trace such unauthorised holders in their given addresses.”
While expressing disappointment on the activities of some officers he described as “heartless officers who are setting up illegal check points to extort Nigerians,” Babandede said he will hold the zonal controllers and state command responsible for such act henceforth.
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