ICPC arrest 4 Immigration officials, agent in sting operation

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has taken into custody four officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service and one other person for alleged graft.

The five suspects, Adeda Retty, Abimbola Louis, Eboji Ngozi, and Okunda Olawale of the NIS and Godwin Agazuwu, an agent of Telly Ship, were arrested in a sting operation following an investigation into their underhand activities at the Apapa Port in Lagos.

At the time of arrest, Adeda, Abimbola, Eboji and Okunda were found in possession of seven cartons of frozen fish believed to be proceeds of gratification collected from a vessel flying a Panama Flag and carrying a cargo of fish which berthed at the Port, while Agazuwu was nabbed for buying the frozen fish from the officers.

A statement by the ICPC spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, on Tuesday, said appropriate action would be taken against culpable individuals.

It recalled that the commission conducted a similar operation last year which resulted in the arrest of two NIS officers and a Nigerian Ports Authority official.

The statement titled, ‘ICPC nabs four immigration officers, other for corrupt practices,’ read in part, “The Commission in its fight against corrupt practices will from time to time strategically conduct similar operations to sanitise the ports of corrupt elements impacting negatively on international trade, and undermining the efforts of the Federal Government to ensure ease of doing business in the sector.”

It added that a major International stakeholder in the fight against corruption in the ports sector, the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network, had expressed concerns about incidences of corruption in the ports which include demands for bribes and gratification by ports officials.