Nigeria’s burgeoning integrated online media platform, ALEDEH has uncovered massive fraud and corruption in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) under the leadership of the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration, Muhammad Babandede.

Just like the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) under IGP Ibrahim Idris which we scooped in September 2017, and many other public institutions, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) under Muhammad Babandede leadership stinks of infernal corruption ALEDEH can report.

Babandede, who was appointed as the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration May 15, 2016, by President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Mr. Martin Kure Abeshi, had promised to rid the "service off corruption" but the reverse is the case as ALEDEH has uncovered "corruption unlimited" at the Service under his watch.

Investigations carried out by ALEDEH, reveals that a lot of illegalities are currently going on at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria's commercial city as well as Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria's capital city as NIS officials go on rampage; collecting illegal levies from unsuspicious foreigners.

The Nigerian Immigration ACT 2015 sighted by ALEDEH, says anybody who overstays or commits an immigration offence will be deported and that the deportation is at the cost of the Federal Government through the Minister of Interior with no fine in the sum of $1,000 attached.

However, findings by ALEDEH reveals that some foreigners who have overstayed in Nigeria are made to pay the sum of $1,000 at the airport by immigration officers on their way out of the country.

"A case of this nature occurred sometimes ago when some Chinese nationals who have overstayed in Nigeria and were returning back to their country, were made to pay $1,000 before leaving despite booking their tickets already", a source told ALEDEH.

Another source who is a top-ranked officer in the NIS told ALEDEH that: "They collect close to $100,000 daily but remit within $1,000 to $2,000 in a day into NIS account and not the Federation Account.

This NIS account the source said is operated by few NIS staff under the control of the Comptroller General of the Service, Babandede.

Our source stressed that: "the same money, the one they agree to pay into the NIS account does not end up in the Federation's Account. If by chance they pay five of that fine into NIS account maybe one or two in a week will end up in the federation's account so why are we watching one individual tarnishing the image of Nigeria, defrauding Nigeria visitors", the furious officer questioned.

The source further said that: "at the end of the day giving us a bad image especially knowing well that Nigerian population is mobile, Nigerian population is everywhere in the world. As I talk to you Foreign Affairs Ministry is in receipt of a letter of protest of other countries we have bilateral or multilateral agreements with because some of these things being done they didn't take into consideration the bilateral or multilateral agreements, now the whole world is threatening to retaliate on Nigerians", the source lamented.

Investigations by ALEDEH, however, reveals that the $1,000 is being collected till date by Immigration officers without any law backing such fee neither is the NIS ACT as sighted by ALEDEH is backing it.

Like the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) promotion scandal uncovered by ALEDEH in our Exclusive story titled: " Promotion Fraud In The Nigerian Police Plus Those “Controlling” The IGP", which was published September 22, 2017, ALEDEH has again uncovered another promotion scandal in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

ALEDEH gathered that most special promotions in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) under the leadership of the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration, Muhammad Babandede is purchased and not merited.

Findings by ALEDEH reveals that most officers get promoted in the Nigerian Immigration after paying N500,000 or N1 million for such promotion.

Similarly, ALEDEH gathered that some Nigerians pay as much as N50,000 to N100,000 to get the Nigerian passport.

This sleaze is a hurricane that sweeps across all NIS offices across the nation, ALEDEH can authoritatively report.

Sources tell ALEDEH that some PPP contracts entered into by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) are illegal.

Another NIS source who is in the Passport Department of the Service told ALEDEH that illegalities and fraud have gotten to an embarrassing height especially in the issuance of Passports.

Read more: https://aledeh.com/exclusive-aledeh-uncovers-corruption-unlimited-at-nigerian-immigration-service-whistleblower-gets-death-threat/