A group known as the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria (CCSGN) has sent a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Acting Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Idris Jere. This request comes after Jere refused to vacate his post despite the expiration of his one-year extension in office.

The CCSGN stated that they would protest at the Immigration and Interior Ministries every day until their demands were met. The letter, signed by Ayodeji Ologun and addressed to President Buhari through the Minister of Interior, accused Jere of gross disobedience and corruption.

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The group noted that the President had already retired Jere and directed him to hand over to the most senior Deputy Comptroller General on or before April 24, 2023. However, Jere allegedly disobeyed the President’s order and continued to seek multiple extensions of his tenure.

The CCSGN emphasized that allowing Jere’s actions to stand would not only demoralize officers and men of the Immigration Service but also set a bad precedent in Nigeria’s civil service. Therefore, they called on President Buhari to act in the defense of the law and its provisions. The group reiterated that Jere’s tenure officially ended on April 24, 2023, and no attempt should be made to extend it, not even by a day.

The CCSGN warned that if a new Comptroller General of Immigration did not resume office by May 2, 2023, they would protest at both the Immigration and Interior Ministries on a daily basis until their demands were met. The group claimed to be dedicated to the promotion of probity, accountability, and transparency in governance.

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Reporters had previously revealed how the Buhari government had approved the extension of Jere’s tenure as the Acting Controller-General of the NIS, even though he had reached the retirement age of 60 as stipulated by civil service rules.

The NIS boss was supposed to have retired on April 24, 2022, but he continued to preside over the affairs of the agency for at least one more year. Despite being aware of Jere’s status, President Buhari unlawfully elongated his tenure, thereby denying other officers in the NIS the opportunity to move up the ladder.