Tag Archives: Nigerian Immigration Service

EFCC grills Parradang over immigration job scandal

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reopened investigations into the Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment tragedy in 2014, which led to the death of 19 young job seekers and also the subsequent failed recruitment bid in which 1600 were enlisted.

The commission on Monday grilled the immediate past Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, David Parradang, for over seven hours.

Paradang, who arrived the EFCC headquarters in the Wuse 2 District of Abuja at 10am and was immediately taken into the interrogation room by EFCC’s operatives, was reportedly asked questions about the N555m said to have been collected from applicants who participated in the 2014 exercise.

It was learnt that the agents also questioned Mr. Paradang on the ownership of the company that was used to extort N1000 from each of the NIS applicants and what the money was used for.

The agents, it was learnt, suspect that the money must have been stolen or diverted and should be accounted for in the light of the anti-corruption disposition of the Buhari administration.

Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman for the EFCC, confirmed the invitation but declined to give details.

The invitation followed claims and counter claims by the immediate past Interior Minister, Abba Moro and Paradang over the failed recruitment bids of the agency and the amount said to have been realised from the applicants.

It will be recalled that the CG, who was first suspended before being fired by President Muhammadu Buhari last month, had a face-off with the former Interior minister, Abba Moro, over the two sets of recruitments into the NIS.

While Paradang said his hands were tied, Moro accused him of being economical with the truth but the ousted CG has not opened up on what really transpired when he held sway under Moro.

Mr. Uwujaren, who did not disclose the actual reason for the interrogation, confirmed that Mr. Parradang was quizzed by the EFCC.

Mr. Parradang was in August suspended from office by President Muhammadu Buhari. He has since been replaced by his deputy, Martin Abeshi

Senator Hassan Barata detained in Saudi Arabia for carrying revoked diplomatic passport

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A former Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Hassan Barata who travelled a few weeks ago, is in detention in Saudi Arabia for refusing to leave after his time elapsed.

Also, during questioning Barata, who was carrying an official passport already revoked by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), had claimed to be an employee of the Nigerian Embassy – a claim that was found to be untrue.

It will be recalled that the NIS had earlier in the week communicated the revocation of official and diplomatic passports of certain persons to the international community through their embassies in Nigeria.

The Federal Government has however said it is waiting for a full report on the circumstances that led to the detention of a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Hassan Barata, in Saudi Arabia.

The spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmedu Ogbole-Ode, said that the government had yet to be briefed by the Nigerian embassy on the arrest and detention of the former governorship aspirant in Adamawa State.

“We are waiting for a full report on the incident from Saudi Arabia; it’s when we get the report that we can decide the next step to take. I have made attempts to reach the embassy there, but the telephone network was bad and I couldn’t reach them,” he said.

The Nigeria Immigration Service also said it had yet to get a report on the incident too.

When asked if the service would sanction Barata for using an official passport against the rules, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Ekpedeme King, explained that the service would need to get a full report before he could comment on what would be done to the former senator.

“I can’t speak on the matter until we get a full report of the incident, that is the time we can comment on the development,” he said.

Barata represented Adamawa South in the sixth Senate, having been elected in 2011 on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last February but returned to the PDP after losing his bid to pick the governorship ticket.