The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Kemi Nandap, on Thursday warned newly promoted comptrollers of the service against corruption, extortion and abuse of office, saying their elevation came with greater responsibility and higher expectations.
She said such misconduct would not be tolerated under her watch.
Nandap spoke at the decoration ceremony of 106 newly promoted comptrollers of the NIS, held at the service’s headquarters in Abuja.
Twelve of the promoted officers had already retired, while the remaining 94 were decorated at the ceremony.
She told the officers, “Let me state unequivocally that corruption, extortion, abuse of office, professional negligence, and indiscipline have no place in the Nigerian Immigration Service we are building.
“I expect every controller to demonstrate zero tolerance for misconduct and to ensure that officers under their supervision understand the consequences of violating established standards.”
She added, “Your promotion is not simply a reward for what you have accomplished.
“It is a declaration of confidence in what you are now expected to deliver. The rank being conferred upon you today is not merely an additional insignia on your shoulders.
“It is a greater burden of trust. It is a higher standard of conduct, and it is a solemn responsibility to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Nandap said the newly elevated comptrollers must transition from executing instructions to interpreting policies, exercising sound judgment and inspiring personnel.
“You must move from managing activities to delivering outcomes. From exercising authority to demonstrating leadership. From occupying positions to making meaningful institutional impact.
“The service does not simply need more senior officers. It needs more effective leaders,” she said.
The immigration chief warned that leading by personal example was non-negotiable.
According to her, “You cannot demand integrity from your subordinates while compromising your own principles.
“You cannot insist on discipline while tolerating misconduct, and you definitely cannot expect public confidence where accountability is absent.”
Explaining her expectations of commands under the newly promoted officers, Nandap said, “Let your command be known for efficiency rather than excuses. Let your command be known for discipline rather than disorder.
“Let your command be known for service rather than intimidation, and let your command be known for integrity rather than compromise.
“The authority of your rank may compel obedience, but it is the integrity of your character that earns genuine respect.”
Nandap said the service was undergoing significant institutional transformation, citing ongoing reforms, including the e-Border solution, the Border Control and Immigration Management System, the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record system, e-Gates and Electronic Visa Administration.
She said the initiatives were repositioning the NIS as an intelligence-led, technologically enabled institution.
However, she cautioned that technology could not substitute for strong leadership.
“Technology, no matter how sophisticated, cannot compensate for weak leadership, poor supervision, indiscipline, or the lack of accountability.
“The modern immigration service cannot be built with outdated attitudes, ineffective management practices, or a culture of complacency,” she said.
Nandap charged the comptrollers to ensure that the reforms were not merely understood at the headquarters but implemented across commands, border posts, airports and other operational formations.
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She said, “Our investments must translate into stronger border security, more efficient immigration processes, improved intelligence coordination, better traveller experiences, and increased public confidence.
“The success of our transformation agenda will ultimately depend on what happens under your leadership.”
The comptroller-general outlined five expectations for the newly promoted officers, including leading by example, delivering measurable results, protecting the integrity of the service, embracing institutional reforms and investing in their subordinates.
“Change starts with you. Your attitude towards change must change,” she said.
She urged the officers to invest in the development of personnel under their supervision, adding, “Your greatest legacy may not be the position you occupy today, but the quality of the officers and leaders you leave behind tomorrow.”
Nandap also reminded the officers of the human dimension of their duties, saying, “Behind every passport application, every border crossing, every immigration inquiry and every interaction with the public is a person who deserves to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.”
“National security and professional service delivery are not competing responsibilities; they are complementary,” she added.
She further told the officers, “The insignia you wear today represents authority, but it also represents responsibility. It represents achievement, but it must also inspire greater service. It represents recognition, but it must also demand higher standards.
“Remember this, your rank is what the institution has conferred upon you. Your legacy, on the other hand, is what you will build through your leadership.”
Speaking earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, reaffirmed the police’s commitment to sustained collaboration with the Nigeria Immigration Service.
He described the two agencies as partners bound by a shared mandate to protect the country and its citizens.
Disu, who attended the ceremony as a special guest, said the mandates of the two agencies were deeply interconnected.
The police chief noted that their collective effectiveness depended on intelligence sharing, mutual support and strong inter-agency cooperation.
He said, “The Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Immigration Service share a common responsibility in safeguarding our national security and protecting our citizens.
“Our mandates are interconnected, and our collective effectiveness depends sufficiently on sustained collaboration, intelligence sharing, mutual support, and strong inter-agency cooperation.
“I wish to reaffirm the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to strengthening this long-standing partnership for the greater security of our country.”
The IGP charged the newly promoted comptrollers to regard their elevation not merely as a reward for past service but as a renewed call to greater responsibilities and exemplary leadership.
“Your promotion is a recognition of your dedication, professionalism, years of meritorious service and commitment to the security and development of our nation,” Disu said.
He added, “I urge you to regard this decoration not merely as a reward for past service, but as a renewed call to greater responsibilities, exemplary leadership, and commitment to the team.”
He urged the officers to discharge their new responsibilities with integrity, discipline and humility, and inspire personnel under their command to greater achievements.
Disu also congratulated the spouses of the promoted officers, describing them as deserving partners in their career journeys.
“I will once again congratulate your doting wives for this great promotion, because they deserve it,” he said.
Thursday’s ceremony was attended by representatives of the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Director-General of the Federal Fire Service, the Minister of Interior and senior officials of the NIS management team.
The Human Resources Directorate had earlier disclosed that under Nandap, the service had promoted 8,502 officers from Assistant Inspector III to Assistant Inspector I, 75 from Assistant Inspector II, and hundreds of others across multiple ranks.
