Personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) and other security agencies deployed for the recently concluded Osun State governorship election have finally received their election duty allowances after weeks of waiting and complaints over the delayed payment.
The payment came barely 72 hours after ChroniclesReporters reported concerns raised by personnel over the alleged withholding of their special duty allowances after they had completed their assignments during the August 15 Osun governorship election.
A source within the Nigeria Immigration Service told ChroniclesReporters on Sunday, August 30, 2026, that officers deployed for the election had been paid ₦50,000 each across all ranks.
The source further disclosed that personnel of the Nigeria Correctional Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had also received their payments.
“All officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service and Ekiti State Command of Nigeria Immigration hereby appreciate ChroniclesReporters for the news they published,” the source said.
“With a little bit over 72 hours, they have paid everyone election allowances of ₦50,000 each across all ranks. Correctional Service personnel have also been paid, and NSCDC too.”
The development has brought relief to affected personnel who had reportedly waited for weeks after completing their election assignments.
Some officers were said to have borrowed money to cover transportation and other expenses incurred while travelling to their respective deployment locations.
The controversy began after ChroniclesReporters reported on Wednesday, August 26, that some NIS officers deployed from the Osun State Command for the August 15 governorship election were unhappy over the alleged failure of the command and the Service headquarters in Abuja to release their special duty allowances.
According to sources, the officers were concerned that they had not been paid despite claims that funds had been released for the election operation.
A source within the NIS had alleged that about ₦120 million meant for the election deployment was paid into the agency’s account by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The source further claimed that funds were also provided by the Osun State Government for the operation.
Despite the alleged availability of funds, personnel deployed across Osun State reportedly remained unpaid even after completing their assignments.
“It was said that some officers borrowed money to enable them to go to their deployment area,” the source had said.
The situation reportedly caused frustration among officers who had already incurred transportation, feeding and other expenses while carrying out their electoral duties.
The source also alleged that the Osun State Command and the NIS headquarters in Abuja had failed to resolve the matter despite the completion of the election assignment.
“Officers are grumbling as both the state command and headquarters in Abuja refuse to pay the officers deployed for the election up to date. It was revealed that INEC paid the money into the immigration account,” the source had said.
The allegation over the purported ₦120 million release subsequently raised questions among affected personnel about the whereabouts, management and disbursement of funds reportedly made available for the election operation.
However, when contacted over the issue, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service in Osun State, DSI Abiola Anjorin, said payment to personnel was still being processed.
“This is not peculiar to NIS officials alone; other agencies too have a similar issue; hence, it’s a process, and with the information received, they are going to be paid very soon as Service Headquarters is working on it,” Anjorin had said.
The complaints were not limited to the Immigration Service.
Personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed for the same Osun governorship election had also reportedly complained that their special duty allowances had not been paid despite completing their assignments.
Some NSCDC personnel were said to have faced similar difficulties with transportation and other expenses incurred during the deployment.
The latest payment has now brought relief to personnel across the affected agencies, with NIS officers reportedly receiving ₦50,000 each regardless of rank.
The development also means that the immediate concern over the unpaid allowances has been resolved, although questions surrounding the alleged ₦120 million released for the NIS election operation remain part of the controversy that preceded the payments.
For the affected officers, the release of the allowances ends weeks of uncertainty over money they said they were entitled to after carrying out their electoral responsibilities.
The episode has also renewed attention on the need for security personnel deployed for elections to receive their operational and duty allowances promptly, particularly where officers are required to travel, provide security and bear expenses while performing official assignments.