Don’t issue passport to terrorists, kidnappers – Warns NIS boss

The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Martin Abeshi has warned Nigeria Immigration Service personnel against issuing passports to terrorists, kidnappers and other criminals.
He admonished the officials to screen passport applicants thoroughly, stressing that the penalty for indiscriminate issuance of passport is stiff, noting that any indicted officer would not be spared.
Handing down the warning at a meeting with senior officials including border control and passport officials on Friday at the NIS headquarters, Abuja, the CG also directed his men to remove roadblocks at border areas, noting that they could screen foreigners coming into the country without blocking the road with logs and disused tyres.
Abeshi said: “You must not engage in indiscriminate issuance of passports; you know that Nigeria is battling with terrorism now, you must therefore screen passport applicants thoroughly before issuing out passports.
“It is a security document and it must not be issued to kidnappers, terrorists and other criminals; penalty for doing this is very stiff, don’t say you have not been warned.
“I don’t also see any reason in the blocking of road by our officers, if you see any foreigner, ask him to alight from the vehicle, screen him and allow the vehicle to go, there is no need blocking the highway with wood and tyres, the police have stopped roadblock, don’t block the highway in whatever form.”
The immigration boss expressed displeasure over reports of corruption in the service, adding that he was sad anytime he read about the corrupt practices of NIS personnel in the newspapers.
He, therefore, asked the senior officers to deal with cases of misconduct and sharp practices by their subordinates even as he advised them to collaborate with other security agencies by sharing intelligence reports with them to make their job easier.
The Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources, Henry Malgwi, asked the personnel to familiarise themselves with the 2015 NIS Act, noting that any officer caught engaging in malpractices would be handed over to the police for prosecution