Federal lawmaker, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, representing Oluyole federal constituency, has called on the Nigeria Immigration Service to investigate allegations of bribery against its personnel in land borders with African countries and at the airports.
Akande-Sadipe, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs said on Thursday that allegations of bribe collection from irregular migrants to leave the country are gaining grounds already and cannot be jettisoned.
Noting that the reports claim that NIS officials at check points at various Nigerian highways and at various airports have indirectly legalised irregular migration with their cash-for-pass attitudes, Hon Akande-Sadipe therefore called on the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mr. Muhammad Babandede, to act swiftly and look into the alleged acts of misconducts.
She said, “It has come to my notice that some NIS officials allegedly collect N50,000 bribe from some irregular migrants to be smuggled out of the country. In fact, there are no secondary checks at the borders and the airports.
“However, it is pertinent to commend the Comptroller General. He has been cooperating with our committee, but there are some elements in the Service he needs to fish out.”
She stated that there is an urgent need for the NIS to have a firm grip of the borders and management and registration of migration in the country.
Akande-Sadipe further noted that there is need for synergy and collaboration between the NIS and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP to stem the tide of human trafficking in the country.
