Nigeria Immigration Service Accused of Shielding Officer Who Allegedly Slapped Colleague From Prosecution

A Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, Yemi Badru, has accused Muhammed Babandede, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, and other high-ranking officers within the service of shielding Umar Mohammed, a superior officer, who assaulted him in 2019.

According to FIJ, Badru’s plight began on July 31, 2019, after he refused to breach the immigration protocol to favour a request made by Mohammed.

He claimed Mohammed had, in anger, slapped him multiple times because of his refusal till he suffered a nosebleed.

Badru stated that the Lagos State Command of the NIS subsequently carried out an investigation on the matter and in its report recommended a three-week suspension for the erring officer.

Despite the recommendation, however, he said Mohammed never served the suspension.

The aggrieved immigration officer said the D18 Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, sought legal advice from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice after it also conducted an investigation on the issue.

“The Lagos State Ministry of Justice, through the Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution, after studying the duplicate case file sent to them by the police, concluded that Mohammed has a case to answer,” he said.

Badru also said that despite all efforts made by Barristers Saliu and Araba, state counsel assigned by the Attorney-General of Lagos State to prosecute the case against Mohammed, the accused was never spent time in police custody.

“They have written several letters to the Nigeria Police Force wherein they sought the attention of E. A Ayodele, the IPO of D18 Unit of State CID Panti Yaba, Lagos State, to arrest and arraign the accused Umar Mohammed before the Magistrate Court 3, Tinubu, Lagos State, Mohammed was granted an administrative bail by the police,” he stated.

Badru said the police has refused to arrest Mohammed because ‘he is still a serving member of the NIS’.

According to Badru, neither the NIS nor its Comptroller-General has also acknowledged any of the letters sent to them by the police in the past requesting that Mohammed be allowed to face prosecution.

“Now, I want Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, to be active on the matter,” he stated.

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