The Nigeria Immigration Service has again engaged in a fresh illegal recruitment of 300 personnel, the slots of which was shared among the top management officials.

Investigations on Sunday indicated that the personnel who were on inspector cadre (levels 1-, were employed in December, 2015.

Sources stated that the personnel were placed on various ranks, including Inspector, Assistant Inspector, Immigration Assistant and Chief Immigration Assistant.

It was learnt that the beneficiaries of the illegal recruitment had been enrolled in the NIS payroll and had been paid their January 2016 salaries.

A source said, “The personnel were engaged during the Christmas holidays but no letter of appointment was given out, apparently to prevent the secret recruitment from being leaked. They called it replacement, which is another name for illegal recruitment.

“The 300 slots were shared among the top management team from the ACGs upwards. Some got two slots, some got six, depending on your rank.

“The names of their preferred candidates or applicants were submitted along with their account details and they were placed on levels 1-8. They have been paid their January salaries, as we speak.”

A former Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Parradang, was suspended by the Federal Government in August,2015 for allegedly recruiting 1,600 personnel in violation of extant laws.

Parradang was found to have issued appointment letters to 700 Assistant Inspectors of Immigration as well as 900 Immigration Assistants III into the NIS without approval.

Parradang’s suspension led to the appointment of the current CG, Martin Abeshi, who was said to have engaged the 300 personnel with the approval of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board.

When contacted on Sunday, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Ekpedeme King, said he could not confirm the recruitment exercise. “I am not aware of this,” he stated over the telephone.