The Nigeria Immigration Service has suspended the proposed the transfer of five of its officers to Yobe, Borno, Kano and other states because of their participation in an online competition known as #BopDaddyChallenge.
Priscilla Irabor, Catherine Bakura, Blessing Udida, Binti Attabor, and Ockiya Eneni were transferred to states far from their duty posts for participating in the #Bopdaddy challenge initiated by musician, Folarinde Falana aka Fal, on the basis of discipline for dressing “indecently”.
Eneni who was stationed to the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card Production Facility, was moved to the Borno State Command.
The service also transferred Irabor from the Lagos State Command to the Nigeria Immigration Training School to Kano, while Attabor who was posted to the headquarters in Abuja was transferred to Yobe State Command.
Udida on the other hand, was transferred to Akwa-Ibom state command from the FCT Command, while Bakura was transferred from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the NIS Training School Ahoada, Rivers State.
Their transfer sparked a social media outcry, with many Nigerians, including popular musician Falz, who is also the son of Femi Falana (SAN), urging the NIS to change its position on the directive.
This outrage made the NIS react in a series of tweets on its official Twitter handle.
“The attention of the Comptroller General Muhammad Babandede MFR has been drawn to some trending matters on some social media platforms regarding the deployment of some of our Personnel to some Formations across the country.
“It is important to note that staff deployment remains a vital practice of regimented organizations such as ours and should be seen as such. As an agency, we maintain zero tolerance to any matters bordering on offences against discipline among members of our workforce irrespective of gender.
“We have high premium for staff development and indeed encourage personal efforts but that must be within the confines of our rules and regulations.
“The matter involving the Personnel in question is still being investigated and therefore, the Comptroller General has directed that the earlier Posting Order be put on hold pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
