In a statement issued on Monday by the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency claimed the reports are misleading and stated that Nandap has no connection whatsoever with its ongoing investigations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied reports suggesting that the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, is under investigation over an alleged visa racketeering scheme involving immigration officers.
In a statement issued on Monday by the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency claimed the reports are misleading and stated that Nandap has no connection whatsoever with its ongoing investigations.
“The Commission wishes to state unequivocally that it has no case with the Immigration CG,” Oyewale stated.
According to the EFCC, there are already pending cases against some Nigeria Immigration Service officers before the Federal High Court over alleged visa fraud.
It added that investigations are still ongoing and could result in additional immigration officers being charged for alleged fraudulent practices in the near future.
“There are subsisting cases of alleged visa fraud against some immigration officers at the Federal High Court. Further investigations are ongoing with the possibility that more NIS officers could be arraigned for alleged fraudulent practices in the near future,” the commission said.
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The anti-corruption agency stressed that Nandap “is not remotely connected to these investigations.”
The clarification followed media reports that claimed the EFCC had launched an investigation into the Immigration Comptroller-General over an alleged visa racketeering syndicate within the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The reports alleged that the anti-graft agency was scrutinising the role of the agency’s leadership in the processing and issuance of visas and suggested that top officials, including the Comptroller-General, could be implicated.
However, the EFCC said the claims were false, insisting that its ongoing investigations are limited to specific immigration officers already facing prosecution and others who may be charged as investigations progress.
The commission did not disclose the identities of the officers currently standing trial but maintained that the cases are already before the Federal High Court and relate to alleged visa fraud.
The EFCC also urged media organisations to verify information relating to its activities before publication to prevent the spread of inaccurate reports.
“The media is enjoined to always seek clarifications on the activities of the EFCC to avoid misrepresentation of facts,” Oyewale added.
The clarification comes amid heightened public interest in alleged corruption within government agencies and follows speculation over the scope of the EFCC’s ongoing investigation into visa-related fraud involving personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The commission, however, has now expressly excluded Comptroller-General Kemi Nandap from the probe, insisting she has no connection to the cases under investigation.
