Taking into consideration the alleged unlawful retirement of 27 senior immigration officers, the Civil Society for Good Governance and Accountability has issued a severe warning to the departing Comptroller General of Immigration, Adepoju, as well as to the Minister of Interior, Tunji-Ojo. In a press statement that was issued on Monday in Abuja, the spokesperson for the organisation, Monday Okafor, called for immediate action to be taken in order to reverse this decision.

“It is our demand that the commander Immigration Officer Adepoju and Minister Tunji-Ojo immediately reverse their decisions to retire these 27 top immigration officers without providing a cause for their retirement. It is the first time that anyone has ever heard of such a significant number of senior officers retiring in order to make room for a junior comptroller of choice to be elevated to the position of assistant chief financial officer. Okafor made the following statement: “This appears to be a clear case of nepotism and corruption, and we will not stand idly by while our immigration service is being manipulated for personal gain.”

In their statement, the organisation emphasised that the Nigerian immigration service must be founded on merit, professionalism, and honesty, and that any action that compromises these principles is unacceptable. Those organisations that are part of civil society will not tolerate any actions that have the potential to call into doubt the credibility of our security agencies.

In order to ensure that justice is carried out, the Civil Society for Good Governance and Accountability request that the relevant authorities conduct a comprehensive investigation into this problem. The Nigerian people will continue to be kept up to date on any new developments, and we will continue to watch the situation.