For four months, Arinze CHIJIOKE monitored passport racket involving the Passport Collection Officer and other officers in the former office of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Enugu State Command and the new office. His findings are captured in this report.

ON Monday, October 18, the Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isa Idris, pretending to be an applicant for an international passport at the service’s Lagos State Command, Ikoyi discovered how officers at the command were involved in acts of corruption and extortion.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsBK21VlvRM

Specifically, the officers charged him prices higher than the normal price for a passport and offered to help him get the indigeneship form and other documents required for N3,500 since he did not come with any.

After his discovery, Mr Idris said the lessons would help the service to strengthen the passport issuance process, insisting that having an international passport of a country confers nationality on its holder and so it must have integrity.

“The document has integrity and so the processes of issuing it must have integrity,” he said, adding that on the assumption of office in September, he pledged to tackle the challenges faced by Nigerians in their efforts to procure international passports.

The Acting CG’s experience at the Lagos command mirrors the kind of corrupt practices ongoing at the Enugu State Command of the NIS, including the widespread lack of respect for Nigerians applying for passports.

The Enugu passport racketeering experience

It is exactly 6:30 PM on a Tuesday in late September 2021. Immigration officers, some on mufti and other wearing uniforms are strolling in and out of the office of the Passport Collection Officer in charge of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Enugu office, Ebele Alozie.

Each of them is carrying three or more files, either belonging to those who have paid extra amounts, after the original payment for their passport booklets or those who have been able to provide convincing evidence as to why they need a passport.

Those whose files have been approved for printing by the PCO, are hanging around the collection office, from where they wait for their passports, which usually doesn’t take more than 10 minutes before it is ready.

Inside the office of the PCO, are files stacked up and belonging to individuals, most of whom had applied three and four months ago but have been left unattended to because they have not come to see the PCO. They are arranged according to the dates of capture.

On the website of the Nigeria Immigration Service, issuing a 32-page international passport booklet costs N10,750 for persons between the ages of 0-17 and 60 years and above (That is N8,750 Passport Booklet fee and N2,000 Address Verification Fee), while that of citizens aged 18-59 is issued at N17,000 ( N15,000 for Passport Booklet fee and N2,000 for Address Verification Fee).

Issuing a 64-page passport booklet costs 22,000. The same procedure applies to those seeking renewal of their passports. But most of these people- who prefer to apply for their passports physically- pay between N35,000- N45,000 and sometimes more to officers who help in the application process.

Daily, applicants numbering over 50 gather around the office, waiting to be attended to. As soon as they get to the office, they are given a sheet of paper to write their names, after which they take turns to see the PCO.

Why do you need a passport?

Whenever people who have applied for passports- and waited for months without positive results- get into the office of the PCO, she would always ask them why they need their passports urgently.

Since they must provide evidence as to why they need passports- even after parting with huge sums- most people now go-ahead to print medical reports and admission letters into universities abroad and each time they are coming to meet her, they come along with it.

While some of the applicants- those who come as early as 7am daily and write their names-get to see her, those who do not come on time do not get to see her before the day finally runs out. They must come back again the next day.

Applicants who can provide convincing evidence are asked to get the officers who helped them during the application process. After seeing these officers, the PCO would ask one of those working with her to look for the files. When they are found, they are kept close to her table.

She would ask the applicants to write down their names while she gives them dates to come back for their passports. Most of the time, that is not a guarantee that their passports will be ready when they come back.

The PCO would always tell applicants that booklets are not available- even when they are, albeit in short supply- and that the office was expecting more supply. This is to make them prepare their minds to pay extra money or wait for several months to get their passports.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/investigation-inside-enugu-immigration-office-where-passport-racketeering-thrives/

This is so true serivicom are not doing anything na Nigeria system so bleeped up it in other country it take 4hours mostly 8hours but you most have it that day or the mail it to ur house you do online just forget it

This country people nawa

.

Corruption is a big problem in Nigeria and this is why the country cannot make any headway.

It's the same all over the country. Whether Enugu or Owerri, Uyo or Lagos, it's the same story. I got my own passport for 45k at Ikoyi office. When I went for my daughter's it had scaled for 55k. Can you beat corruption in a country where law enforcement agents stand on the highway collecting illegal toll?

-Lol @ why do you need a Nigerian passport?

-Answer: To go toilet � na

makemoneywbsite:
It's the same all over the country. Whether Enugu or Owerri, Uyo or Lagos, it's the same story. I got my own passport for 45k at Ikoyi office. When I went for my daughter's it had scaled for 55k. Can you beat corruption in a country where law enforcement agents stand on the highway collecting illegal toll?

-How did you manage to convince them that you need a Passport, let alone your daughter?

makemoneywbsite:
It's the same all over the country. Whether Enugu or Owerri, Uyo or Lagos, it's the same story. I got my own passport for 45k at Ikoyi office. When I went for my daughter's it had scaled for 55k. Can you beat corruption in a country where law enforcement agents stand on the highway collecting illegal toll?

Nigeria is something else

See marginalization