We seized passport of #EndSARS advocate on security order ― Immigration

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has insisted that the passport of a promoter of the #EndSARS movement, Modupe Odele, was seized based on an order by a security agency to effect the restriction of movement on her.

Public Relations Officer of NIS, Mr Sunday James, told Tribune Online in Abuja, that as a border management agency, once a restriction order is placed on any individual, the Service has the duty to enforce it.

He said: “We are a border management agency and when there is a restriction of movement order, we enforce it”.

When asked to be specific on where the order was coming from, James said, “Where the order comes from is not your business”.

The Ministry of Interior, when contacted said the Immigration Service was in a position to react to appropriately to the development.

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Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr Mohammed Manga, said, “If there is any further information, I will get to you”.

Odele had recounted her ordeal in the hands of officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service who allegedly detained her at the airport and prevented her from travelling abroad.

According to her, she was on her way to the Maldives, an island country in Asia, to celebrate her birthday when she was accosted by immigration officers.

Odele, who claimed she was said to be on the watch list of the unnamed security agency, revealed she was detained while her passport was seized by the officers and had to miss her flight in the process.

James had in reaction to the development on Thursday night that whenever a restriction has been placed on any individual, the immigration service is duty-bound to enforce it.

He said immigration did not seize Odele’s passport because of her #EndSARS activities but because it was enforcing a restriction order.

He said, “When there is a directive from any agency of government not specific, we have to enforce either entry or restriction of entry by anybody who has been directed not to be allowed exit or entry and as a matter of fact, we cannot as a border management agency, allow anybody who has been restricted from leaving the country to go out and we cannot allow anybody who has been restricted from entry to enter.

“So, it is a routine assignment and it has nothing to do with #EndSARS. We are the lead agency for the security management of the border. It has to do with the restriction order which we are duty-bound to enforce.”