The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has debunked reports linking the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, to its ongoing investigation into alleged visa fraud, insisting that the Immigration chief is not under investigation and has no case before the anti-graft agency.
The clarification follows media reports suggesting that Nandap had been drawn into the Commission’s investigation into an alleged visa racketeering syndicate involving some officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, described the reports as false and misleading, stressing that the ongoing investigation is directed at individual immigration officers suspected of engaging in fraudulent visa processing and related offences.
“The Commission wishes to state unequivocally that it has no case with the Immigration CG,” the statement read.
The Commission maintained that attempts to associate the Comptroller-General with the ongoing criminal investigation are entirely unfounded and should be disregarded.
The EFCC disclosed that criminal proceedings have already commenced against some officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service at the Federal High Court over allegations bordering on visa fraud.
According to the Commission, the cases relate to individual officers allegedly involved in fraudulent practices within the country’s visa administration process and do not, in any way, implicate the leadership of the Immigration Service.
“There are subsisting cases of alleged visa fraud against some immigration officers at the Federal High Court,” the EFCC stated.
The anti-graft agency said the prosecutions form part of its broader efforts to sanitize public institutions and ensure accountability in the administration of immigration services.
Beyond the cases already before the court, the Commission disclosed that investigations are continuing and could lead to the prosecution of additional officers found to have participated in the alleged fraud.
“Further investigations are ongoing with the possibility that more NIS officers could be arraigned for alleged fraudulent practices in the near future,” the statement added.
The EFCC reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all persons found culpable are prosecuted in accordance with the law, irrespective of their position or rank, while emphasising that the Comptroller-General remains outside the scope of the investigation.
The commission also called on journalists and media organisations to exercise greater diligence in reporting its activities by seeking clarification before publishing reports concerning ongoing investigations.
It warned that inaccurate reports not only misinform the public but also risk undermining ongoing criminal investigations and unfairly damaging the reputation of public officials who are not subjects of investigation.
