Posted by By GODWIN TSA, Abuja on
Authorities of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) are now battling to raise their heads above waters over a multi-million fraud currently rocking the service.
Authorities of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) are now battling to raise their heads above waters over a multi-million fraud currently rocking the service.
The Service internal security is already in custody of an immigration officer (names withheld) who is believed to be the architect of the operation.
The light-fingered lady was said to have used her knowledge of Information Technology to perpetrate the crime.
The official, an Immigration Assistant (II), who works in the Accounts Department of the Service, was said to have taken undue advantage of her computer knowledge to download millions of Naira from the salary package of staff to her personal accounts.
The suspect who became fat feeding on other officers' salary is said to have three fat accounts in different banks, posh cars, landed property and a multi million Naira cyber café located in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Though, the exact amount involved in the crime could not be ascertained as at press time, it was speculated to have been in the region of over N500 million.
The Service Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ekpedeme King who confirmed this said the light-fingered officer has been arrested and is currently under orderly-room trial.
The Service spokesman further disclosed that the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. Chukwurah Udey has set up a Committee to investigate the fraud.
The committee, according to him is to among other terms of reference ascertain whether she was stealing in connivance with other officers or she was alone in the crime.
However, some officers of the service who confided in Daily Sun on the matter expressed their reservations on the Committee, alleging that it was a ploy by some senior officers allegedly benefiting from the proceeds of the fraud to provide her a soft landing and possibly kill the case.
They alleged that some top officers from the hierarchy of the service were neck deep in the fraud and are trying everything possible to ensure that the matter did not see the light of the day.
It was further alleged that some of the committee members are the beneficiaries of the fraud who were brought in to kill the case.
Accordingly, they are demanding that the case be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since it is a cyber crime, for a proper investigation.
The Service spokesman said the detection of the fraud was made possible as a result of the computerization of the accounting system, which was introduced to ensure accountability and transparency.
He disclosed that the detained official was employed between 2005 and 2006 due to her IT knowledge following the introduction into the computerization of the service accounting system.
Mr. King assured that the service would not condone or cover up corrupt practices.