Industrial Court Okays Contempt Commencement Proceedings Against Immigration Comptroller, 6 Others
Hon. Justice Buhari Sani of the Abuja Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court has granted leave to Dr. Adeyemi Badiru to initiate contempt proceedings against principal officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and six other individuals over their alleged failure to comply with a previous court judgment.
The court had previously declared the disciplinary process initiated against Dr. Badiru by the NIS and four others as wrongful, unlawful, illegal, null, and void, and had set aside those disciplinary proceedings. Additionally, the court ordered the NIS and the involved officers to allow Dr. Badiru to participate in the next promotion examination for his current or a higher rank, matching that of his colleagues.
Following an ex-parte motion filed on September 1, 2026, Dr. Badiru alleged that the respondents had deliberately failed to comply with the December 11, 2023, judgment in case NICN/ABJ/136/2023. He claimed his name remained on disciplinary lists, he was not reinstated to his duty post, and he was excluded from the promotion examination conducted between June 29 and July 3, 2026. His counsel, Tersur Kwanga Esq., argued that the ongoing non-compliance had left his client at Grade Level 11 while some of his peers had advanced to Grade Level 13.
The court considered the evidence presented, including the certified copy of the 2023 judgment, the circular inviting eligible officers for the 2026 promotion exam, and the promotion eligibility list, which Dr. Badiru claimed excluded him. Justice Sani noted that the grant of leave to proceed does not amount to a final judgment of guilt but is a procedural step that allows Dr. Badiru to formally bring the contempt application; the respondents will then have the opportunity to defend themselves.
Accordingly, the court granted leave for Dr. Badiru to file and serve the contempt application on the named officials within seven days. These officials include the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap; Major General Abdulmalik Jibrin (rtd.), Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board; Kennedy Ailende Uduojie; S. U. Agba; O. C. Uche; Ilori Oluwatobiloba; and Tunde Oduyiga. The matter was subsequently adjourned to September 23, 2026, for a report on compliance or further proceedings.
