Some Nigerians who applied for international passports have accused personnel of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, Abuja passport office, of massive extortion.
The passport applicants said in spite of recent directive of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to the immigration authorities to sanitise the system, nothing much has changed.
The applicants who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), lamented that they were made to pay various sums of money by NIS officials before getting the travel document.
They also alleged that the electronic passport application system has been compromised, forcing those who followed due process with no alternative than to “settle” NIS officials in order to get their passports on time.
Some of them further alleged that even when the passport was ready, they were made to pay another N5,000 before collection.
An applicant, Ahmed Isa, a civil servant, said that he had been to the passport office over 10 times and was yet to get his passport.
“I have been coming here since September to get a passport because I want to travel out of the country.
“First, they said the fee is N35,500 but now they have jacked it to N55, 500. This is for a passport with a duration of five years.
“Everybody is telling you to pay this and that and the place is chaotic. The whole thing is frustrating,” Isa said.
Another applicant, Mohammed Umar, said that he came for the re-issuing of his passport which had expired but was told by a NIS official to pay additional “compliance fee”.
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“When I asked them what the compliance fee is for, the man pushed me aside and walked away.
“All I have noticed here is that many of the officials are unruly and behaving as if they are not accountable to anyone,” Umar said.
Another applicant who sought for anonymity, said she applied for passport renewal online in August 2022 and was still waiting.
“Every time I go to the immigration office to track its progress, officials kept telling me to contact the person helping me.
“It has been frustrating and depressing. Everyone expects and believe I should have a certain someone who is helping me.
“When I told them I did it online, I got the ‘ohh’ look and then the term ‘self-service’ follows me everywhere I turn to for help,” she added.
Another passport applicant, Blessing Ibiyemi, told NAN that she missed out on a scholarship abroad because of her inability to get her passport processed in spite of following due process.
“I applied for passport in April and I just got my passport now in October after paying an extra N40,000 to process it.
“The first time I came to their office, I told them I paid online, they gave me a chair to sit and I was there for hours.
“When I asked them why I am still here, they told me to contact the officer helping me, I was shocked because I paid online and I didn’t expect any officer to be helping me.
“The NIS has not shown true commitment to wanting to tackle this menace,” Mr Ibiyemi said.
Another victim, Alarape Ogunmuyiwa, said that he was initially charged N80,000 for renewal of his passport.
Mr Ogunmuyiwa added that he was later made to pay extra N20,000, because the official in charge told him that the expired passport was “defaced”.
