The Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, Ja’afaru Ahmed, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Ahmed added that the Board would conclude the recruitment exercise, which was billed to end on June 15, 2024, will now end before the end of September.

He said, “The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board wishes to inform the general public that it will commence the next stage of the recruitment exercise in August, and will conclude the exercise before the end of September 2024.”

Ahmed announced that all shortlisted candidates would be duly notified of the next stage of the recruitment exercise through their contact details.

The Secretary, however, apologised for the inability to complete the exercise as earlier scheduled due to manpower audits carried out by Services under the Board.

He added, “The board wishes to apologise for its inability to complete the process by 15th June 2024, as earlier intended.

This is due to a nationwide manpower audit exercise carried out in the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which was just recently concluded.

“All shortlisted candidates will be duly notified of the next stage through their phone numbers and email addresses.”

This is as seven injured personnel are undergoing treatment at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano and burial arrangements are underway for the departed persons.

Briefing journalists at the Service Headquarters in Abuja, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Dr Dotun Aridegbe, said the CGI also declared three days of mourning even as flags will fly at half mast in all commands nationwide.

He explained, “The acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Caroline Adepoju, is deeply grieved by this loss and is personally extending her condolences and support to the families of the deceased. The Service stands firmly with those left behind by their breadwinners during this distressing period.

“An immediate investigation has been ordered by the Acting CG to ascertain the remote cause of the accident.

“We are committed to understanding the circumstances that led to this tragic event and will take appropriate measures to prevent such incidents in the future.”

 A Nissan 18-seater bus with plate number ‘Immigration HQ, 1001S’ conveying mostly members of the service’s musical band from Kano to Abuja lost control after suffering a tyre burst.

The crew had accompanied the acting Comptroller-General of Immigration to Kano State for the Presidential Commissioning and Passing Out Parade of the 48th Superintendent Basic Course 2023 at the Immigration Training School in Kano on Saturday.

The accident, which happened along the Kano-Zaria Expressway on Sunday morning, left at least four persons dead, Dr Aridegbe confirmed on Monday.

Those who lost their lives included the driver, two brothers who suffered fatal head injuries and an officer in the Public Relations Unit, whom a senior source simply identified as Francis.

Giving details of the incident, the Service Spokesperson narrated, “Yesterday, a group of eleven of our personnel were returning to Abuja from an official assignment in Kano in an 18-seater official bus.

“Tragically, they were involved in a ghastly accident a few kilometres from Kano. As a result, four of our personnel lost their lives. This has been a deeply distressing and sorrowful moment for all of us within the Nigeria Immigration Service.

“Seven of our colleagues who sustained various degrees of injuries are currently receiving treatment at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano. Our thoughts and prayers are with them for a swift and complete recovery.”

Aridegbe noted, “This is a time of deep reflection for the entire Nigeria Immigration Service family.”

Therefore, “The Acting CGI has directed all Commands and Formation Heads to fly our flag at half-mast for the next seven days.

“We will observe a three-day mourning period in honor and memory of our fallen colleagues,” he added.

The Service also said it had informed the families of the deceased, saying, “Arrangements for the burials of our departed colleagues are being organised with utmost care and respect.”

The NIS reacted to a report by an online media platform hat the aptitude test for the recruitment will hold on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18 respectively.

NIS has distanced itself from the publication on its official website, saying that they are aware of the “news” circulating from an unknown website about aptitude tests coming up on Friday and Saturday. 

“The Service wishes to categorically state that this is FAKE NEWS and should be disregarded in its entirety.

“Any information pertaining to the Service and its recruitment process will be disseminated via our official social media channels ONLY and/or across any of the daily newspapers. 

“The NIS application cdcfib recruitment portal has just been closed and NIS management stated that successfully shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment exercise.

“The data of applicants collected during the application period is being checked as such, no aptitude test date has been fixed yet. So beware of fake news from an unknown website,” NIS added.

The recruitment is open to applicants who want to apply for the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board.

Below are major things to know in order to have a successful application below:

1. Start and end dates of application

The application into the NIS began on Monday, January, 16, 2023 and will end after two weeks, that is January 30, 2023.

2. Method of Application

All NIS Applications shall be made online. And candidates are expected to log on to the portal from to fill and submit the application form. Candidates are advised to print out the Referee forms which must he duly completed for submission during the Screening.

3. Positions available and their qualifications

Category A: Superintendent Cadre: 

i. Superintendent of Immigration (SI) compass 11 professional (Doctors): Applicants must possess first degree in MBBS from a recognised institution of higher learning and NYSC discharge/exemption certificate.

ii. Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI) CONPASS 10 professional (pharmacists): Applicants must possess a first degree in Pharmacy from a recognised institution of higher learning and a NYSC discharge/exemption certificate.

iii. Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI) CONPASS 08: Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree, Higher National Diploma or its equivalent from a recognised institution.

Category B: Inspectorate Cadre: 

i. Assistant Inspector Immigration (All) General Duty CONPASS 06; Applicants must to be holders of a National Diploma, NCE or Advance NABTEB obtained from recognised institutions.

Category C: Assistant Cadre:

i. Immigration Assistant; (IA I11) CONPASS 03 General Duty: Applicants must be holders of GCE Ordinary Level, SSCE/NECO, GCE or its equivalent with a minimum of 4 credit in not more than two (2) sittings, which must include English and Mathematics.

ii. Immigration Assistant III (IA III CONPASS 03 Artisans: a) motor driver b) Mechanic: Applicants must be holders of ordinary level SSCE or its equivalents and appropriate trade test certificate.”

3. Nationality of applicants

The NIS said all applicants must be Nigerians by birth.

4. Documents needed for application

i.National Identity Number

ii. e-copy of certificates and requisite qualifications in the section of application.

iii. Certificates of medical fitness from government-recognised hospitals.

5. Test of drug or other subtances

All applicants must do drug test to be qualified for the recruitment.

6. Financial stability

Although the NIS did not state an amount to have for its financial status, it said any of its applicants must not be ‘financially embarrassed’.

7. Age limits

All applicants must be between the ages of 18 years and 30 years with exception to doctors and pharmacists who must not be more than 35 years.

8. Computer Literacy

Although, this is not a must to have, but the NIS has considered it an added advantage for applicants.

9. Chest measurement

Applicants chest measurement only applies to men and must not be less than 0.87.

10. Failure to submit certificate

NIS said any certificate or qualification not declared and accepted during documentation shall not be accepted after recruitment.

11. Disqualification

NIS said candidates with multiple applications shall be disqualified.

12. Exam mode

The recruitment exam mode shall be Computer Based Test for shortlisted candidates and appropriate time and date shall be communicated.

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Isah Idris, had in a circular dated December 9, 2022, forwarded to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, all Heads of Foreign Missions, all Immigration Attaches, all Airport Comptrollers and all airlines, stated that the special arrangement was approved by the Federal Government.

Idris had said all airlines in Nigeria were requested to allow holders of expired Nigeria passports to board without any hindrance, while all Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad were also requested to circulate the same information to airline operators and border authorities of their host countries for compliance.

However, in a statement made available on Thursday, the Public Relations Officer of the NIS, Anthony Akuneme, explained that the service, which will be available for two months, will also give the returnee Nigerians opportunity to renew their Nigerian passports during their stay in the country. He said “Dedicated Diaspora desks had been set up at all international airports across the country to ensure Nigerians returning home from abroad have hassle-free passage.

The ongoing dedicated diasporan service available from December 12, 2022, to January 31, 2023, allows Nigerian passport holders in the Diaspora to board their countries of residence and be admitted into Nigeria with their expired international passports.

“The Comptroller General of Immigration had also directed Passport Control Offices to accord priority to the returnees and their families bearing in mind that most of them have a specific time they must return to their countries of residence after their holiday in Nigeria.”

The Deputy Comptroller of Immigration further stated that applicants for the new enhanced Nigerian e-Passport whose biometrics had been captured at the NIS offices at the Nigerian missions in their respective countries of residence did not need to start a fresh application.

Also, the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the NIS boss for launching a dedicated service to meet the needs of Nigerians returning home from abroad.

The Comptroller-General of NIS, Isah Jere, gave the warning in Abuja on Thursday at a news conference.

Jere, who was represented by the NIS Public Relations Officer, Tony Akuneme, said the service was committed to sensitising Nigerians to the dangers of irregular migration.

“A lot of people want to travel without knowing what they are going to do or where they are going to exactly.People are being brainwashed by agents of irregular migration and you think life is better on the other side. Who says there are no beggars in Canada, USA or UK? There are beggars and homeless people in these countries you are rushing to,” he said.

The NIS boss said one could travel if the person has a legal job waiting, admission into school, or any concrete legal means of survival.

“If the young people are told that the Libya they are going to is not better than Nigeria, that will at least give them a rethink.

“You can’t be excited going to a country you know nothing about”, he said.

According to him, some of the young people rushing out don’t even use the Nigeria passport issued to them.

“So what’s the point in getting a document that you don’t need and putting pressure on the system?” he asked.

The CG urged the media to help in educating the citizens on the dangers of illegal migration.

This is an increase from 767,164 to 1,059,607 passports issued in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

According to data obtained from the NIS, the passport types ranged from standard, official, diplomatic, emergency travel certificates and refugee passports or conventional travel documents.

A breakdown of that number revealed that out of the total passports issued in 2020, 761,825 were standard; 2,024 were official; 444 were diplomatic, and 2,871 were ETCs.

In 2021, the NIS issued 1,041,537 standard passports, 2,811 official passports, 895 diplomatic passports, 14,214 ETCs and 150 refugee passports.

That’s about 2,081 and 2,853 passports issued every 24 hours in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

For the period under review, the United Kingdom immigration report showed that 13,609 Nigerian healthcare workers were granted working visas. This is second only to India with 42,966 practitioners.

According to the Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey 2021 taken by the African Polling Institute, seven out of 10 Nigerians were eager to leave their country if offered the opportunity.

Also, a World Bank survey taken that year revealed that 56,000 more Nigerians were leaving the country yearly than arriving.

Further checks showed that over 19,000 skilled work and study UK visas were issued to Nigerians in 2019. In 2021, however, that number rose by 210 per cent, 59,000.

More so, 12,595 Nigerians emigrated to Canada in 2019 alone, according to data obtained from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. That year, the NIS dished out 1,198,274 passports, which was daily average of 3,282 passports.

Closer observation of Nigerians fleeing the country revealed a rich mix of professionals such as academics, medical doctors, nurses and technology experts who are reportedly resigning from their roles in many local banks and leveraging the UK’s skilled work visas or its equivalent in other countries of their choice.

More citizens are also leaving the country through the study route, obtaining study visas mostly in the UK, Canada and the United States.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Executive Director of Adopt A Goal Initiative, Mr Ariyo-Dare Atoye, argued that the rising number of Nigerians obtaining passports was closely connected to the high emigration rate occasioned by the harsh economic realities and security challenges of the past decade.

Nonetheless, the new passport regime launched mid last year might also be a contributing factor to the ease of passport issuance to many applicants.

According to him, that number would continue to rise if the country failed to elect credible leaders in the forthcoming elections. “Numbers don’t lie,” he said.

“Check the statistics of the Nigerian Medical Association and see how many doctors have left in the last two years. Many Nigerians used the pandemic lockdown to look for openings globally. They searched for jobs and other opportunities around the world and a lot of people succeeded in securing one opportunity or the other. So, when the lockdown was lifted for people to travel, they started seizing the opportunity. And we’re likely to see more Nigerians moving.

“We will see a reduction in this only if we get the right leadership in 2023. But as we speak, the trigger is not because of the efficient system that has been put in place by the Nigerian Immigration Service. Rather, it is because many Nigerians are leaving this country. Tired of the situation at home, they look for opportunities elsewhere,” he added.

Also speaking with our correspondent, activist and Convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, said many citizens who remained in the country were only marking time before their eventual exit.

“Nigerians are fed up with the system. That’s why they are leaving the country, and more people are going to leave the country if the next election does not turn out favourably. You can see the interest of the young people in the election. As currently constituted today, Nigeria is like a concentration camp. And if you doubt me, let the UK, in the spirit of the Queen’s death, offer visa-free access to Nigerians for one week and see how many people will move,” Adeyanju said.

In a statement released on Tuesday, June 1, the agency said the applications which were scheduled to resume on June 1, will now commence on June 8.

According to NIS’ spokesperson Amos Okpu, the congestion at its issuing centres will not allow the Service to accommodate new applications.

The statement read “This situation will not allow the Service to accommodate new applications especially considering our desire to ensure that people who come to our offices comply with all the COVID-19 protocols.  Consequent upon the above, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has extended the commencement of the new passport regime earlier scheduled for June 1, 2021, by one week till June 8, 2021. The Comptroller General of Immigration assures all of the full commitment to improved service delivery to all passport applicants and others. Passport Control Officers have been directed to continue to send out short message notifications for collection to all applicants who indicated functional contact details/numbers in their applications while efforts have been intensified to clear up the remaining applications in some Centres.”

More than two million Nigerians applied for vacancies in the two Agencies under the Ministry of Interior.

According to a statement issued by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Alhaji Mohammed Manga, the exercise would be conducted in collaboration with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Manga said the conduct of the forthcoming Computer-Based Aptitude Test for recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was aimed at ensuring transparency, equity and justice in the recruitment process.

He said the partnership would provide all eligible and qualified Nigerians who applied for various posts in the Services equal opportunity to be employed in line with the present administration’s policy thrust of ensuring transparency in the conduct of government business.

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede, who disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, October 10, also said he once disguised as a cleaner in order to catch corrupt officials.

He said “It’s about four years now that we stopped the corrupt practice in the service via bribes to influence posting as it was done previously in the country. Under the board of Ministry of Interior, we have dismissed 60 personnel caught for bribery and corruption in the airports and borders. There are corrupt officials even within the senior cadre. However, it’s our responsibilities as leaders to stop the practice especially of giving bribes to officers to influence posting to airports and borders. We have also discouraged the culture of those working in ‘choice areas’ giving out ‘returns’ to their superiors. Anyone caught should have himself blame. The Immigration Service is committed to fighting corruption. I disguised as a cleaner in the airport and border and caught an official receiving bribe. We cannot do it alone especially now that the border and the airports are being secure by other sister security agencies. When reporting a corruption incident, the complainants have to provide evidence before the Immigration Service beyond doubt for further action otherwise any action taken against the accused person would be voided later,”