Crimes

Immigration officer in court for receiving N17.6m salaries from 3 govt agencies

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Abubakar Aseku, for allegedly drawing salaries from two additional government agencies while still employed by the NIS.

Aseku was arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in the Apo of Abuja on a nine-count charge bordering on abuse of office and corruption on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

According to the ICPC, the defendant allegedly received N4.2 million in salaries from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in 2015 while working as a school teacher, despite being on active duty with the NIS.

He is further accused of drawing N13.4 million in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) between 2018 and 2019, while employed by the Immigration Service.

The ICPC added that Aseku, as a Pay Officer with the Immigration, allegedly facilitated the payment of N4.7 million in salaries to seven individuals who were neither employees of the NIS nor on its payroll.

One of the charges read: “That you, Abubakar Mohammed Aseku, between October 2018 and October 2019, in Abuja, while serving as an Assistant Superintendent Immigration Officer, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by receiving a total sum of N13,400,889.90 in salaries from the Department of Petroleum Resources, while concurrently employed by the Nigerian Immigration Service, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

Police: Ex-Immigration boss died in Abuja hotel, not kidnapped

Aseku pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His counsel, Basil Hemba, informed the court that the Immigration officer had previously been granted bail by another FCT High Court sitting in Maitama and urged the court to maintain the existing bail terms.

The presiding judge, Justice Binta Dogonyaro, upheld the bail conditions, which had been granted by the Maitama court.

The ICPC’s counsel, Michael Adesola, requested an adjournment to allow the prosecution to present its witnesses.

Justice Dogonyaro, thereafter, adjourned to April 29, 2025, for further hearing of the matter.

The Star

Segun Ojo

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