The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, has warned newly promoted comptrollers against corruption, extortion and abuse of office, insisting that their new positions must be matched with greater accountability and professionalism.

Nandap gave the warning on Thursday during the decoration ceremony of 106 newly promoted comptrollers at the service’s headquarters in Abuja.

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Twelve of the officers had already retired, while the remaining 94 received their decorations at the ceremony.

Addressing the officers, the immigration chief said corruption, professional negligence, indiscipline and abuse of authority would not be tolerated under her leadership.

She urged the newly promoted comptrollers to ensure that personnel under their supervision understood the consequences of violating the service’s professional standards.

According to her, promotion should not be regarded merely as recognition for past achievements but as a demonstration of the institution’s confidence in the officers’ ability to take on greater responsibilities.

Nandap said the new ranks required the officers to move beyond carrying out instructions to interpreting policies, making sound decisions and providing effective leadership.

She also stressed that officers must lead by example, warning that they could not demand integrity from subordinates while compromising their own principles.

The Comptroller-General urged the officers to build commands recognised for efficiency, discipline, accountability and quality public service rather than intimidation and misconduct.

She noted that the NIS was undergoing significant institutional reforms aimed at improving its operations and strengthening national security.

Among the initiatives she highlighted were the e-Border solution, Border Control and Immigration Management System, Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record system, e-Gates and Electronic Visa Administration.

According to Nandap, the reforms are intended to transform the service into an intelligence-driven and technology-enabled institution.

However, she cautioned that technological investments would not produce the desired results without effective supervision, responsible leadership and accountability.

She charged the comptrollers to ensure that the reforms were implemented beyond the service’s headquarters, extending to commands, border posts, airports and other operational units.

Nandap outlined five major expectations for the newly promoted officers: leading by example, delivering measurable results, protecting the service’s integrity, embracing institutional reforms and developing their subordinates.

She also reminded them that members of the public must be treated with dignity and fairness during immigration-related interactions.

The immigration chief maintained that national security responsibilities and professional service delivery should complement each other rather than be treated as competing priorities.

Speaking at the event, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the NIS.

Disu described both agencies as important partners in protecting Nigeria and its citizens, noting that their responsibilities were closely connected.

He said effective intelligence sharing, mutual support and sustained inter-agency cooperation were essential to improving national security.

The police chief congratulated the newly promoted comptrollers and urged them to approach their new responsibilities with integrity, discipline and humility.

He also acknowledged the contributions of their spouses to their professional journeys.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of other security and government agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Fire Service, alongside senior NIS officials.

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The service’s Human Resources Directorate had earlier disclosed that thousands of officers had received promotions under Nandap’s leadership, including 8,502 officers elevated from Assistant Inspector III to Assistant Inspector I, as well as 75 promoted from Assistant Inspector II and hundreds of others across different ranks.