No fewer than 176 retired officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have instituted a legal action against the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Comptroller-General of the NIS and four other government officials over the alleged non-payment of their retirement entitlements.
The retirees filed the suit, marked NICN/ABJ/146/2026, before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja, seeking judicial intervention to compel the authorities to honour benefits they claim have remained unpaid since their retirement.
Also named as defendants in the suit are the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), the Chairman of the Board and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
According to court documents filed through their counsel, Maroof Giwa, the retirees said they resorted to litigation after several letters, reminders and pre-action notices failed to yield a positive response from the relevant authorities.
The claimants, led by Abalaka Betty Ajuma, alleged that agreements and provisions relating to their retirement benefits have not been implemented despite repeated demands. They argued that under the Unified and Reviewed Conditions of Service for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian Correctional Service, published by the Federal Government in 2015, officers who retire at the rank of Comptroller are entitled to specific post-service benefits.
Among the benefits listed in the conditions of service are an official vehicle and the services of five domestic staff members on designated salary grades. The retirees contend that they met all the requirements for these entitlements but have yet to receive them years after leaving service.
They further maintained that it has long been the established practice within the service for retiring Comptrollers and senior officers to be provided with official vehicles or their monetary equivalent upon retirement.
According to the claimants, despite retiring honourably on the qualifying rank, the defendants have allegedly failed, refused and neglected to provide the vehicles or compensate them financially in lieu of the benefits.
The retirees are therefore asking the court to declare that they are legally entitled to the retirement benefits provided under the 2015 Conditions of Service. They are also seeking a declaration that the alleged refusal of the defendants to provide those benefits is unlawful, wrongful and unconstitutional.
Among the reliefs sought is an order compelling the defendants to provide each claimant with the entitled vehicle or, alternatively, pay the sum of N15 million to each retiree as the monetary equivalent.
The case has been assigned to Justice Rakiya Haastrup of the National Industrial Court and has been adjourned until June 23, 2026, for further proceedings.