Immigration Service explains why it detained, questioned Dokpesi

The Nigerian Immigration Service has reveled its reason for detaining, and later questioning the founding chairman of African Independent Television, AIT, and a senior member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Raymond Dokpesi on his arrival to the country.

According to the Comptroller-General of the Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede, Dokpesi, was quizzed by Immigration officials for two fundamental reasons bordering on alleged violation of Nigerian immigration laws, as it is unknown as to how he left the country.

“We do not know how he left the country, whether through the land, air or sea,” Babandede said.

Babandede added: “He (Dokpesi) was only invited for questioning in respect of crossing borders based on the powers given to us by the Immigration Act 2015. He was never detained.

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“Also, this has nothing to do with the Federal Government. It has to do with the Nigerian Immigration Service under my leadership.”

Recall that immediately after his release, Dokpesi accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of instigating his ordeal in the hands of the nation’s security agencies.

According to him, government is bent on stopping him from travelling abroad where he has been seeking medicare in the past few months, claiming that the NIS is intent on impounding his passport, which in his words, is in the custody of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Dokpesi, who is facing trial over alleged N2.1 billion arms deal scam, said “Definitely if I had brought my passport today, they would have impounded it, that is what it is.”

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