NIS support call for social media regulation to curb Recruitment Scam

Victoria Ogunrinde

The Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service Mohammad Babandede has backed the call for the regulation of social media across the country as criminals are now manipulating it for the wrong reasons.

The NIS Boss while speaking against fake recruitment in the Service cautioned Nigerians to be wary of recruitment fraudsters who are manipulating social media to deceive people, warning that recruitment into the Service is not for sale.

Babandede gave the warning on Thursday at Afaha Offiong Village in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State while responding to request for employment by the paramount ruler in the LGA, Elder Dr Manasseh Akpan, during the commissioning of the newly constructed Forward Operation Base.

“I assure you that we will continue to do our job according to Law. The issue of recruitment is very contentious. Local Government Chairman and Paramount Ruler, I assure you that there is fake recruitment going on, not only in Immigration. In all security agencies, you will see a lot of fake websites.

“Social media is a good tool, but it is a great opportunity for criminals to do a lot of things. That is why we recommend that there should be something to sanction social media.

” Yesterday I saw a fake website advertising new recruitment. When we are recruiting we publish it in newspapers, we announce it officially.

“We have arrested many people including our officers who claimed to be selling recruitment and we have handed them over to the ICPC. So there is no recruitment. Recruitment is not for sale,” he said.

Babandede thereby applauded President Mohammadu Buhari for investing in security adding that there is no government that has ever invested in security than the present administration.

“We need to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for investing a lot in NIS. There has never been a time a government has shown interest in Nigeria Immigration Service like this time,” he said

In his remarks, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel commended the Service for proper monitoring of the country’s borders saying that even though the borders are porous, the NIS has been able to effectively man them to make sure that undesirable elements are tracked.

Representing the governor, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, commended the synergy among security agencies in the state.

“The Immigration Service do not only service our borders but also monitor what happens within. Our borders to some extent are porous and there are undesirable elements that would want to pass through the borders but the immigration officers able to track them. This is a lot of good work on the part of the Service,” Emmanuel said.

Furthermore, he commended the Controller General of Immigration for instituting an ICT based platform that creates online and realtime synergies in order to ensure rapid response on the part of relevant agencies.

“This means that the Immigration Service is not an analogue service. Because there is one thing about security. The longer the time when the crime is committed and when the perpetrators are picked, the worse for the society,” he said.

Earlier, the Comptroller of NIS, Akwa Ibom State, Kolawole Amao said the facility is not only contemporary but also a tonic for officers and meant for efficient service delivery.