BY JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE AND ROMANUS CHUKWUNONSO
President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, David Parradang.
Mr. Parradang was asked to immediately proceed on suspension on Friday, while the deputy comptroller-general, Martin Abeshi, takes over.
It was not immediately clear why Mr. Parradang was sanctioned.
However, the Nigerian government this week launched an investigation into how a wanted terrorist was granted a Nigerian visa in Lebanon to visit Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulus Lolo, said Wednesday said the wanted terrorist was of “Palestinian extraction and resides in Lebanon”.
According to reports, a radical Muslim cleric, Ahmad al-Assir, was arrested by Lebanese authorities as he attempted to leave Lebanon for Nigeria via Cairo early on Aug. 15.
He was reportedly arrested while attempting to travel with a fake Palestinian passport and a valid Nigerian Visa at the Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport in Lebanon.
President Buhari had immediately ordered an investigation into the matter, and it is unclear whether Mr. Parradang’s suspension has any link with the matter.
Also, the Immigration Service under Mr. Parradang’s leadership sparked national outrage in 2014 after nearly 20 job applicants were killed in a stampede during an Immigration recruitment test.
Ahead of the examinations, an agent commissioned by the Ministry of Interior, extorted N1000 from each of over 700,000 applicants.
Despite raising nearly a N1 billion, logistics for the exercise were dismal resulting in the deaths.
Mr. Parradang denied any role in the contract. He said the Interior minister, Abba Moro, handled the deal.
An investigation launched by the Senate into the matter, ended without a report till date.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Chukwuemeka Obua, yesterday confirmed the suspension order President Mohammadu Buhari, clamped on the Comptroller General of the Service, David Shikfu Parradang.
Miffed by the embarrassing granting of visa to terrorist ISIS leader, Ahmed Al Assir, President Buhari had approved the indefinite suspension of the Service’s CG.
His suspension which was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Press in the Ministry of Interior, Isiaka Yusuf and made available to the media on Friday in Abuja, directed Parradang to immediately proceed on suspension yesterday while the service’s deputy comptroller general, Martin Kure Abeshi was directed to assume the position.
Even though no reason was advanced for his sudden suspension, reports that the chieftain of the insurgence group was granted a Nigerian visa in Lebanon may have prompted the action.