Fresh data from a document detailing contracts awarded by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) between January and December 2025 has revealed a troubling pattern of financial transactions, raising concerns over transparency and compliance with public procurement laws.
According to the records, the agency made multiple high-value direct payments to individual staff members and officers. These payments were frequently labelled as training fees, flight tickets, estacode, OPE expenses, and “sensitization materials.” In many cases, the amounts ran into tens of millions of naira, bypassing established procurement procedures that mandate competitive bidding and contract awards to registered companies rather than individuals.
The data shows repeated instances where named NIS personnel received funds for activities typically handled through formal vendor contracts. Analysts say this practice undermines accountability and raises the risk of financial mismanagement.
Among the highlighted transactions, Onah Ruth received ₦10,121,000 on 24 December 2025 for “flight ticket for participating officers.” Earlier, on 14 November 2025, the same individual was paid ₦8,000,000 for a similar purpose linked to a training programme on ethics, transparency, and financial responsibility.
On that same day in November, Augustine Nyadu Peter was paid ₦7,000,000, while Abbas Sule received ₦7,100,000—both for “training fees” related to the same programme.
In October 2025, Adedeji O.I. and Abdullahi Jummai Halima were each paid ₦5,694,341 as “estacode to escort a deportee to India.” Toward the end of the year, Aboyeji Adewale Samson received ₦10,044,592 for “flight ticket for 18 officers,” while Ogedengbe Olusegun was paid ₦7,200,000 for organising resources for a senior officers’ promotion examination.
Additional payments include ₦6,900,000 to Haruna A.O. for training fees, ₦5,386,662 to Bamaiyi Jamila Laura for OPE expenses, ₦6,850,000 to Imaekhai Emmanuel Oshobugie for strategic meeting expenses, and ₦7,925,575.53 to Usman Baffa Nagado as repatriation allowance.
Experts note that Nigeria’s Financial Regulations and Treasury Circulars explicitly prohibit routing official contracts through individual staff accounts. Such practices bypass due process requirements, including competitive bidding, tax deductions like VAT and withholding tax, and standard auditing procedures.
Furthermore, anti-corruption laws enforced by agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) criminalise abuse of office and the diversion of public funds.
By channeling payments directly to individuals for services typically provided by companies, the NIS appears to have sidestepped mandatory procurement processes. Observers warn that this pattern creates room for favouritism, weakens financial oversight, and increases the risk of corruption within the system.
