The Nigeria Immigration Service has suspended the transfer of five of its officers to Borno, Yobe, Kano and other states for participating in a social media competition called #Bopdaddy challenge which rapper, Falz, initiated to promote his single ‘Bop Daddy’.
The #Bopdaddy Challenge involves people video recording themselves transforming into a variety of clothes. The NIS officers, like others, made videos of themselves transforming from their uniforms to casual wears which immigration authorities deemed too revealing.
However, in a Twitter thread on Friday, the NIS said it was putting the transfer on hold pending the outcome of an investigation into their conduct.
The five officers – Priscilla Irabor, Catherine Bakura, Blessing Udida, Binti Attabor, and Ockiya Eneni – were transferred to states far from their duty posts for participating in the challenge.
Eneni was moved from the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card Production Facility to the Borno State Command.
The service transferred Irabor from the Lagos State Command to the Nigeria Immigration Training School, Kano, while Attabor was posted from the service headquarters in Abuja to Yobe State Command.
Udida from the FCT Command was sent to the Akwa Ibom State Command while Bakura was transferred from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the NIS Training School Ahoada, Rivers State.
The service’s announcement followed public outcry over the transfer of the officers and intervention from Falz, son of a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana.
The NIS said in the statement announcing the suspension: “The attention of the Comptroller General Muhammad Babandede MFR has been drawn to some trending matters on some social media platforms regarding the deployment of some of our Personnel to some Formations across the country.
“It is important to note that staff deployment remains a vital practice of regimented organisations such as ours and should be seen as such.
“As an agency, we maintain zero tolerance to any matters bordering on offences against discipline among members of our workforce irrespective of gender.
“We have a high premium for staff development and indeed encourage personal efforts but that must be within the confines of our rules and regulations.
“The matter involving the Personnel in question is still being investigated and therefore, the Comptroller General has directed that the earlier Posting Order be put on hold pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
