Buhari suspends immigration boss over visa issued to wanted terrorist

The Comptroller-General of Nigeria’s immigration service, Mr. David Parradang, has been suspended by president Buhari and many believe it's because of the controversy surrounding how wanted Lebanese terrorist and radical cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir got a Nigerian visa even with a fake Palestinian passport. He was arrested at an airport in Beirut on Sunday Aug 15 on his way to Nigeria.

Parradang's suspension was announced this evening in a statement signed by the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Interior, Mr. Yusuf Isiaka Alhaji, on behalf of the permanent secretary of the ministry. Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration, Martin Kure Abeshi, will take over running the agency in the mean time.

If he done that, then he deserve a bigger punishment...

Good morning Timo,
Glad you posted this, I usually check Nigerian news once a week.
Posting links for everyone.

Nigeria Suspends Immigration Head

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/188044/
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http://leadership.ng/news/455687/parradangs-suspension-crisis-averted-at-immigration-headquarters/

Parradang’s Suspension: Crisis Averted At Immigration Headquarters

CHRISTIANA NWAOGU
— Aug 23, 2015 3:33

What would have degenerated into full blown breakdown of law and order was yesterday averted at the national headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), when some Pro-Parradang boys allegedly went on rampage over President Muhammadu Buhari’s suspension of their ‘son’ and boss, Mr. David Parradang, who they fear, might not be recalled.

LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the development created tension around Sauka community, almost paralysing business activities at the service’s popular Mammy Market.

A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, and a trader in the mini market, said, “we were just here trying to tidy up our sales as it was running late, when we heard a group of angry officers spitting fire and alleging partiality in the suspension of the North-central born Comptroller General of Immigration, stressing that the development was designed to pave the way for the mantle of leadership to rest on a government preferred shoulder.”

Trouble was said to have started when another group, comprising mostly of officers from the South-east and South-south region of the country, laughed them to scorn, challenging them to embark on an open protest to register their grievances, rather than hide in the popular market to make empty threats.

The southern group, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered, repeatedly advised the ranting officers to swallow what they termed “national disgrace of a demi-god in shame,” and emulate the maturity they displayed when the axe of suspension first fell on their ‘daughter’ and former Comptroller General, Rosemary Uzoma. It was also gathered that feeling insulted, the northern group promised to make life unbearable for the latter group, for daring to openly challenge and ridicule them.

LEADERSHIP SUNDAY further gathered that it took the intervention of men of the Special Task Force (STF) and some highly placed officers who were quickly intimated about the development, to restore law and order at the service’s headquarters, with threats to submit the names of members of the feuding groups to the board as well as the Ministry of Interior for disciplinary action.

Investigations further revealed that a large section of officers and personnel of the NIS could not hide their feelings and went into wild jubilation, immediately the suspension of Parradang, was announced.

When LEADERSHIP Sunday visited the NIS headquarters yesterday morning to ascertain the reality on ground, officers were seen in groups at the main gate cracking jokes, laughing at the top of their voices and shaking hands in support of the development.

It was learnt that another group converged in one of the conference rooms, chanting “Ma su gudu, su gudu” in Hausa, meaning “Those who want to run should run,” if they are not comfortable with the development.

An officer, who craved anonymity, told our correspondent that, “Parradang claimed to have rebranded our service and bettered staff welfare by 50 per cent. Unfortunately, both claims remain spurious. No one has really seen where those reflect and there is no substantial evidence that he actually reduced poverty by anything above 50 per cent.”

According to the officer, Parradang pledged zero tolerance for corruption and promised that the officers working at the borders would be technologically mobilised for better performance, “but the announcement soon turned out to be an April fool’s joke.”

He added that the suspended NIS boss had shown quite an unbeatable tolerance for corruption, which was the second biggest challenge of his administration, after the passport scam, emphasising that, “not a single indicted passport officer had been successfully prosecuted since he came on board.

“Under the watchful eyes of Parradang, some officers linked to the dreaded Boko Haram group are still on the Immigration payroll, thereby denting our hard earned integrity.”

LEADERSHIP Sunday recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday announced the immediate suspension of the comptroller-general of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr David Shikfu Parradang, from office.

The suspension was contained in an earlier statement dated August 21, 2015, and signed by the director of press, Ministry of Interior, Yusuf Ishiaka Alhaji, on behalf of the permanent secretary of the ministry.

According to the statement, the most senior officer of the NIS, deputy comptroller-general of Immigration, Martin Kure Abeshi, was directed to take over the affairs of the office.

However, another statement also dated August 21, 2015, and signed by a director/secretary in the ministry in charge of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board, Mr A.A. Ibrahim, specifically gave official explanations on why the immigration boss was suspended.

Parradang’s major ‘sins’, according to the ministry’s statement, were that he issued letters of appointment of 700 assistant inspectors of Immigration and 900 Immigration Assistants lll into the service without approval.

The embattled immigration boss was also accused of refusing to take necessary measures to correct the alleged wrongdoing, despite repeated advice given to him by the ministry, which was said to have been conveyed to him through several letters with reference nos FMI/PSO/OOl/lll/402 of June 11, 2015, and FMI/PSO/OOl/lll/411 of June 14, 2015.

Among other reasons for Parradang’s removal, was the controversy surrounding the possession of a valid Nigerian Visa by an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) leader, Imam Ahmed Al-Assir, in Lebanon.
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Shekau 'still in charge' of Nigeria's Boko Haram -8-18-015

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33952928/

Bravo Nigeria... I wish my country would do this... (as well as control the incoming). I know this will NOT be easy, but I think it is brave & worth it, in the long run.
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http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/188171-we-blocked-23472-nigerians-from-leaving-nigeria-in-15-months-immigration-service.html/

Premium Times

Sunday, August 23, 2015
Abuja

We blocked 23,472 Nigerians from leaving Nigeria in 15 months — Immigration Service

In its efforts to prevent young Nigerians from being lured into terrorism, prostitution, slavery and other untoward activities abroad by unscrupulous individuals, the Nigeria Immigration Service says it has continued to be stringent in scrutinising those intending to travel out of the country.
PRNigeria, an agency that distributes press statements on behalf of military and para-military agencies in the country, quoted the immigration service as saying that in the fifteen months period from January 2014 to March 2015, the Service debarred a total of 23,472 individuals from travelling out of the country from the various departure points.
This is in addition to the 758 others who were refused admission into their intending countries of arrival.
There have been reports in recent times of some Nigerians departing to join terrorist groups especially in the Middle East and North Africa including children of serving and retired top functionaries.
Again, two cousins from Kano were caught at the weekend trying to illegally cross into Pakistan from India where they were students of a Delhi university in a suspected bid to join the Islamic State group.
Imran Kabeer, 24, and Sani Jamiliu 25, were arrested on Friday, August 7 as they made their way allegedly to join the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq as they made to scale a fence.
When contacted on the development, the Spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service, Chukwuemaka Obuah said “what the NIS is doing is to bar young Nigerians with doubtful intentions from leaving our shores.
“Before the advent of ISIS the NIS have been battling with illegal migration, organised or otherwise. The push and pull factors have always been there and the NIS has fashioned a robust profiling mechanism that identifies those whose intent for going abroad is either inimical to themselves or the image of the country. The government exercise of diplomatic protection is exercised not only abroad but at ports of entry.”
He said “Nigeria is a catchment area for recruiters because of the high number of jobless people in the country. The terrorist group has a syndicate that arrange travel documents, visas, ticket and money for their recruits.
“To counter this, the NIS now engages in intense profiling of travellers. We have always had problems of Nigerians going abroad for greener pasture. We look at the age of the intending traveller and the person he is travelling with, put them by the side and profile them thoroughly,” said.