… says CG,s role in herdsmen/farmers clashes be investigated
A senior officer in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Barr. Daniel Makolo has petitioned the presidency over what he described as complicity by the Mohammed Babandede-led management of the service, accusing him of operating illegal detention camp.
The accuser, who petitioned President Muhamadu Buhari, also asked the presidency to investigate the NIS boss over the growing wave of herdsmen/farmers clashes across the country.
He asked the president to also probe the activities of the Ministry of Interior under Abdulrahman Dambazau especially with regards to issues of recruitment into, and promotion in the service.
The petition dated August 16, 2017 and made available to journalists in Abuja is titled, “Need to Declare a State of Emergency in Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Board CDFIPB and the supervising Ministry of Interior.”
The petition also alleged that; “The Nigeria Immigration Service has powers to have and maintain screening centre but not Detention camps or centre.
“Today, we are witnessing situation of human rights abuses recklessly in the name of a detention centre.
Recently an Immigration Officer by name Late Mr. Luka Andrew of the armoury Department died in a questionable circumstance full of foul play on the orders of the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. Muhammed Babandede.
“Another officer by name Mr Luka L. MUTUM (ACI) an Assistant Comptroller of Immigration Service with NIS N0 11590 has been in Detention at the service head office for about ten (10) months on the orders of the Comptroller-General of Immigration Mr. Muhammed Babandede, who sometimes order junior officers to assault him.
“Many other Nigerians and none Nigerians are kept in the detention camp unlawfully and against any known law in Nigeria or service without recourse to the Court for any court order to do so or grant administrative bail. This is inhuman, unlawful, wrongful and uncivilized in the 21st century.”
The petitioned was also copied to the Head of Service of the Federation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior and the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service.
He faulted the outsourcing of most immigration services to foreigners in the name of Public Private Partnership PPP, a situation he said has made the country vulnerable to the influx of foreign mercenary.
He said; “Right now the herdsmen and farmers conflict is ongoing, accusing fingers are being pointed to foreigners thereby proving to the fact that NIS has failed the nation in the performances of its statutory duties cardinal among which is to regulate the emigration/immigration of migrants from which it earns money from the Federation account hence its functions has been hijacked and derailed in the name of the PPP projects.
“From the annexures especially the investigation report into the PPP by the House of Representatives Committee on Interior shows that the leadership of NIS betrayed the public trust bestowed on them and they are fighting knees on hills to position their protégés to take control and protect their wrongful, illegal but dubious PPP unabated. Today in NIS simple file register/movement; staff identity card, compilation of NIS staff’s name which is called Nominal roll etc are on PPP contract. Almost all statutory, administrative, operations and human resource management of NIS are on the bloated PPP contract. Why are we still recruiting; paying officers and contractors for the same service from the Federation account”.
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach both the NIS boss, Mr Babandede and the Service Spokesman, Sunday James, proved abortive
