ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has cracked open a multi-billion-naira visa overstay racketeering network operating within the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), questioning at least five serving senior officials, including a Deputy Comptroller.
The extensive probe, which spans across the tenures of multiple past Comptrollers-General of Immigration, has already yielded staggering financial findings. Investigators reportedly traced approximately ₦700 million to a single bank account belonging to one of the suspects, alongside multiple multi-billion-naira estates allegedly acquired through proxy fronts.
The Modus Operandi
The multi-billion-naira scheme allegedly centered on the deliberate extortion of foreign nationals who had breached entry conditions or overstayed their visas. Under the Nigeria Visa Policy 2025, the federal government instituted a strict penalty regime requiring overstayers to pay an official fine of $15 for every unauthorized day spent in the country.
Instead of routing these penalties into the federation account, the ring allegedly diverted massive sums directly from the affected foreigners. According to anti-graft sources, the network functioned seamlessly by leveraging unauthorized or centralized immigration stamps to illicitly clear passports and exit routes at the nation’s major transport hubs.
Top Officials Under the Radar
The anti-graft agency has zeroed its focus on operations across three critical sectors: the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja, and the NIS Headquarters.
Among those intercepted and interrogated by the EFCC are:
- Chief Superintendent Dotun Aridegbe (Principal Staff Officer to the Comptroller-General)
- Assistant Comptroller Emmanuel Imaekhai (Personal Assistant to the Comptroller-General)
- Assistant Superintendent O. Babatunde (Personal Assistant to the Comptroller-General)
- Assistant Superintendent Bashar Suleiman (MMIA, Lagos)
- Deputy Superintendent Musa Abubakar (NAIA, Abuja)
The investigation has also cast a sharp spotlight on the current Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap. Intelligence sources reveal that several detained aides have provided statements that directly and indirectly implicate her office, prompting investigators to look into whether the leadership actively benefited from the illicit revenue pipeline. No formal charges have yet been announced against the Comptroller-General.
The ‘Linchpin’ and the Whistleblower
The ongoing operation was triggered by a female immigration officer who blew the whistle on the deep-seated cartel. Her disclosures led operatives to a Deputy Superintendent of Immigration who had unusually been stationed at the Abuja international airport for over a decade.
A search of his residence reportedly uncovered a collection of official airport stamps from various entry points across Nigeria. Described by the EFCC as the “linchpin” of the entire network, the officer allegedly admitted to maintaining direct financial and operational channels with successive Comptrollers-General over the last ten years, demonstrating the institutional longevity of the fraud.
Denials and Next Steps
As the EFCC aggressively tracks the money trail, multiple individuals whose names were used to purchase high-end real estate and float proxy bank accounts have reportedly confessed to acting as fronts for the immigration ring.
However, reactions from the accused remain mixed. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, CSI O. Babatunde fiercely denied any involvement, stating, “I am not involved in a scam and do not have any visa scam issue, please. I was never invited for a visa scam.” Other high-ranking officials named in the probe, including Dotun Aridegbe and Emmanuel Imaekhai, did not respond to inquiries at the time of press.
The EFCC is expected to widen its dragnet to include former Comptrollers-General to verify admissions contained in the written statements of the primary suspects.
All suspects are legally presumed innocent until proven guilty in a competent court of law.
This video report on the EFCC Probes Immigration Over Passport, Visa Scams provides broader context regarding the anti-graft agency’s ongoing clampdown on operational corruption and racketeering within the Nigeria Immigration Service.
