This might be a long read but I will try to summarize as much as I can.

My fiancee and I having decided to seek opportunities in another country, proceeded to start processing some of the documents needed for this migration plan.

I had always known that corruption and racketeering is a stigma associated with the Nigeria Immigration Service but what I never expected was that it will be commonplace right under the nose of the exalted Comptroller General at the NIS headquarters in Sauka, Airport Road, Abuja .

We had made up our minds that we will only follow the right processes in acquiring her international passport without bribing anyone nor patronising reprobate officers. Around the first or second week of August 2022, she applied online and paid the statutory fee of N25,000 and an additional N1,000 as administrative charge for the 32-page 5-year validity passport. The earliest available date for biometrics and data capturing was 26th September 2022 (Monday) which we chose and waited patiently for.

On the 26th of September, we arrived at the NIS HQ around 1.50pm (ten minutes ahead of the scheduled time which was fixed for 2pm). The "processing center" where the biometrics/capturing is done was so rowdy and always is (as I later got to know). While waiting for anyone to stand up, so we could at least sit for a while, an officer in uniform walked up to us to ask what we needed. I politely responded that we were there for biometrics to renew an expired passport. Immediately, he asked us to follow him as though we were in the wrong place initially. We obeyed and he took us outside and led us to another officer who was close to the "Glass House" (another administrative building within the complex). He said to the other officer, "please attend to these people" and left us with the new officer.

Now, the new officer asked us again and we told him the same reason why we were at the NIS office. He then asked us to go and meet another officer inside the Glass House and wait for him there. It was at that point I got disgusted and asked my fiancée to ignore them all and return to the processing center.

Upon returning to the processing center, my fiancée approached one of the officers behind the counter and explained that she had an appointment for data capturing that day. To be fair, she was attended to immediately and it was in the process of inputting her details into the computer system that we realised that the application couldn't proceed because her middle name which she does not use on all her credentials and NIN was present on her expired passport. Her expired passport was processed by her parents when she was younger and renewed when there was no integration with the NIN. Apparently, the software rejects applications with any little discrepancy between the information on your NIN and the information on your passport (if you are renewing) and applying for the enhanced passport.

The officer at the counter offered to assist my fiancée with getting the right documentations needed to effect the change of name viz court affidavit, newspaper publication, processing fee and others. However, I encouraged my partner to allow us do it ourselves. We were able to get the newspaper publication done with a vendor at the glass house for N4,000 as against the N8,000 the officer mentioned, the court affidavit was done for N1200 (there is a notice that you can pay N1,000 using your debit card or N1,200 if you choose to pay cash). We checked the processing fee for change of name on the NIS website and it was stated as N30,000 but when we got to the office where the payment was to be made, we were told there was an additional "administrative charge" of N3,000 to total N33,000. However, when we asked to pay, we were given a personal account number which we paid N33,000 into and the receipt generated showed a total of N30,900 (N30,000 being the processing fee, N500 as administrative charge and N400 as bank charge) raising the question of whose pocket the extra N2,100 went into.

After providing all the required documents including an indemnity form which we also stamped at the court for N1,000, we returned to NIS the following day to continue the process and it was easy to tell the disappointment on the officer's face that we proceeded to do everything ourselves.

After much delay, she was told that a criminal check was needed to be done to ascertain that she didn't change her name because of a previous criminal record. Apparently, it's suppose to be free but she demanded N3,000 to fast-track the process. We obliged only because we needed to round up the process that day and ensure she gets captured. After waiting for the so-called check for over 3 hours, she now told my fiancée that the next stage is approval which will be done by a DCG. She proceeded to say that they cannot take her file to the DCG empty-handed and that the minimum she can drop to ensure the DCG acts fast on the file is N10,000. After which, my fiancée will settle her for her efforts too and she will not accept N5,000 or even N10,000. It was at this point I lost my patience. To further buttress the systemic corruption within the system, she boldly told my fiancée to go if she doesn't have the money but she should be rest assured that her file will be queried, set aside and will not be processed until she returns with the money.

I encouraged my fiancée to let us leave because I will not allow us to be extorted by greedy officers who earn salaries from taxpayer's money. I have decided to escalate the matter. Sadly, the website of SERVICOM (who is suppose to act as a watchdog for service delivery in government MDAs) is not functioning as at today.

However, I will not relent. Whoever the DCG and the rest of them are that engage in self-aggrandisement at the expense of innocent and unsuspecting applicants must be identified and used as a scapegoat. Even if this is the last thing I will succeed in doing before leaving this country for them. I know this will not change the already rotten system but I have sworn that my fiancée will not pay an extra dime to get her new passport processed. We have paid and we should have it without fear or favour.

UPDATED - 28th February 2023: It's been over six months and true to their word, NIS refused to produce my fiancée's passport. Several calls made to the desk officer who requested for bribe to reduce the amount to a reasonable price fell on deaf ears. On two occasions, she hissed and cut the call on me, reiterating that my fiancée's file will remain in "query" until we are ready. She even said "you think I am joking with you people" on another occasion. I ensured I recorded our phone conversations and had her send a message on WhatsApp stating the amount she wanted to collect a s bribe. I kept these as evidence.
In February 2023, we were able to reach out to our close contacts in the office of the VP who in turn called one of the DCGs accused of collecting money. The DCG was embarrassed and called for a meeting. It turned out that this desk officer was acting on her own accord and no DCG requested her to bring any such returns. She was queried severally by the DCG and she kept denying she knew my fiancee. But when she was asked where my fiancée's file was, she said it was at query. The DCG then asked,"but you said you don't know her, how come you know her file is in query"? The officer was clearly caught off guard and she kept marvelling that we had such level of connection. Eventually, my fiancee wrote her statement and the officer wrote hers. The visibly angry DCG promised to take action, threatened her with demotion by the time the investigation is concluded. My fiancée's passport application is now being treated. God be praised!!!!!

PS: This is a call to every well meaning Nigerian not to despair or give up whenever you encounter corrupt public servants. Do not be coerced into bribery. They continue to do these things with impunity because no one is taking it up on them.

I just had a conversation with another friend who told me how the police extorted her last week because she needed a police character certificate (PCC). She was extorted to the tune of N120,000 for a document that is officially 30,000. I pray to encounter such corrupt officers soonest. The Police force is next.

God bless Nigeria!!!!!

Mynd44, OAM4J. Kindly lend your support by helping me push to the front page for wider view. Thank you

Chai! This is nothing new; corruption has eaten deep into every sector of Nigeria. Corruption is so prevalent in Nigeria that it has become commonplace. The government knows about the corruption at the NIS, airports, armed forces, ministries…but it wouldn’t move a finger to address the ugly problem because the government itself is massively and fantastically corrupt!

The country has been wrecked by all living in it almost beyond redemption.

The mentality and lifestyle are demonically appalling and stink to the high heavens.

The system on every level of governance down to the citizenry is corrupt and smelly.

Issokay you and your fiancée should continue to merry go rounding their headquarters there

duduade:
Issokay you and your fiancée should continue to merry go rounding their headquarters there

I strongly believe you or your guardian benefits from the corruption within the service, else you won't bring your half-dead brain to spew gibberish on this thread. You and your cohorts can continue with your corruption but you won't benefit from us.

2022Frustrated:
I strongly believe you or your guardian benefits from the corruption within the service, else you won't bring your half-dead brain to spew gibberish on this thread. You and your cohorts can continue with your corruption but you won't benefit from us.

2022 is really your year of frustration
Please release that your fiancée that you dragging up and down o

Loool

duduade:


2022 is really your year of frustration
Please release that your fiancée that you dragging up and down o

Loool

You should have dragged her from me since you are desperately hopeless. As God lives, 2022 must end as a year of frustration and calamity for you, your immediate and extended family. Your brain represents your moniker- black and dead. Since 2018, you are still bereft of ideas on what to do with your life. You will rot along with the corrupt system, don't worry. Nigeria will happen to you since you so pride yourself in the corruption you and your cohorts benefit from.

You can go and play now.

2022Frustrated:
You should have dragged her from me since you are desperately hopeless. As God lives, 2022 must end as a year of frustration and calamity for you, your immediate and extended family. Your brain represents your moniker- black and dead. Since 2018, you are still bereft of ideas on what to do with your life. You will rot along with the corrupt system, don't worry. Nigeria will happen to you since you so pride yourself in the corruption you and your cohorts benefit from.

You can go and play now.

Loool

O boy go and Siddon

Which kind of country be this abeg?

Thanksful:
Which kind of country be this abeg?

My brother, I follow you ask ooo

UPDATE: I visited the SERVICOM office and submitted a petition. I also dropped a copy at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), another at the office of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior (NASS) and the last at the Office of the Vice-President via my contact.

A call was made to the NIS from the Vice-President's office and they claimed no one will request for money for approval. They asked my fiancée to return on Tuesday so that her file can be traced and processed.

But I will not stop there......until the day we receive the passport from them.

The past few weeks have revealed something to me. The corruption in Nigeria Immigration Service flows from the office of the DCGs down to the lowest cadre within the service. It's an irredeemable system. The Minister made it worse by stating that passport application process is 6 months. Lol

If I finally leave this geographical entrapment, I am not sure I will ever look back until I am certain some kind of revolution or massive reformation has taken place.

One of the officers threatened us that for escalating this issue, she will show us. We still dey on the matter.

I went through Twitter most recently and all there was to see about NIS are complaints and cries of applicants who have captured as far back as November 2021 but are yet to get their passports, meanwhile take a walk into NIS HQ and you will get your passport in 5 days for a fee of N150,000-180,000.

Can Nigeria ever get better?

It's so sad, corruption is the order of the day in all sector in Nigeria starting from the president who doesn't have primary school certificate.

Can't wait for Obi to become president.

2022Frustrated:
This might be a long read but I will try to summarize as much as I can.

My fiancee and I having decided to seek opportunities in another country, proceeded to start processing some of the documents needed for this migration plan.

I had always known that corruption and racketeering is a stigma associated with the Nigeria Immigration Service but what I never expected was that it will be commonplace right under the nose of the exalted Comptroller General at the NIS headquarters in Sauka, Airport Road, Abuja .

We had made up our minds that we will only follow the right processes in acquiring her international passport without bribing anyone nor patronising reprobate officers. Around the first or second week of August 2022, she applied online and paid the statutory fee of N25,000 and an additional N1,000 as administrative charge for the 32-page 5-year validity passport. The earliest available date for biometrics and data capturing was 26th September 2022 (Monday) which we chose and waited patiently for.

On the 26th of September, we arrived at the NIS HQ around 1.50pm (ten minutes ahead of the scheduled time which was fixed for 2pm). The "processing center" where the biometrics/capturing is done was so rowdy and always is (as I later got to know). While waiting for anyone to stand up, so we could at least sit for a while, an officer in uniform walked up to us to ask what we needed. I politely responded that we were there for biometrics to renew an expired passport. Immediately, he asked us to follow him as though we were in the wrong place initially. We obeyed and he took us outside and led us to another officer who was close to the "Glass House" (another administrative building within the complex). He said to the other officer, "please attend to these people" and left us with the new officer.

Now, the new officer asked us again and we told him the same reason why we were at the NIS office. He then asked us to go and meet another officer inside the Glass House and wait for him there. It was at that point I got disgusted and asked my fiancée to ignore them all and return to the processing center.

Upon returning to the processing center, my fiancée approached one of the officers behind the counter and explained that she had an appointment for data capturing that day. To be fair, she was attended to immediately and it was in the process of inputting her details into the computer system that we realised that the application couldn't proceed because her middle name which she does not use on all her credentials and NIN was present on her expired passport. Her expired passport was processed by her parents when she was younger and renewed when there was no integration with the NIN. Apparently, the software rejects applications with any little discrepancy between the information on your NIN and the information on your passport (if you are renewing) and applying for the enhanced passport.

The officer at the counter offered to assist my fiancée with getting the right documentations needed to effect the change of name viz court affidavit, newspaper publication, processing fee and others. However, I encouraged my partner to allow us do it ourselves. We were able to get the newspaper publication done with a vendor at the glass house for N4,000 as against the N8,000 the officer mentioned, the court affidavit was done for N1200 (there is a notice that you can pay N1,000 using your debit card or N1,200 if you choose to pay cash). We checked the processing fee for change of name on the NIS website and it was stated as N30,000 but when we got to the office where the payment was to be made, we were told there was an additional "administrative charge" of N3,000 to total N33,000. However, when we asked to pay, we were given a personal account number which we paid N33,000 into and the receipt generated showed a total of N30,900 (N30,000 being the processing fee, N500 as administrative charge and N400 as bank charge) raising the question of whose pocket the extra N2,100 went into.

After providing all the required documents including an indemnity form which we also stamped at the court for N1,000, we returned to NIS the following day to continue the process and it was easy to tell the disappointment on the officer's face that we proceeded to do everything ourselves.

After much delay, she was told that a criminal check was needed to be done to ascertain that she didn't change her name because of a previous criminal record. Apparently, it's suppose to be free but she demanded N3,000 to fast-track the process. We obliged only because we needed to round up the process that day and ensure she gets captured. After waiting for the so-called check for over 3 hours, she now told my fiancée that the next stage is approval which will be done by a DCG. She proceeded to say that they cannot take her file to the DCG empty-handed and that the minimum she can drop to ensure the DCG acts fast on the file is N10,000. After which, my fiancée will settle her for her efforts too and she will not accept N5,000 or even N10,000. It was at this point I lost my patience. To further buttress the systemic corruption within the system, she boldly told my fiancée to go if she doesn't have the money but she should be rest assured that her file will be queried, set aside and will not be processed until she returns with the money.

I encouraged my fiancée to let us leave because I will not allow us to be extorted by greedy officers who earn salaries from taxpayer's money. I have decided to escalate the matter. Sadly, the website of SERVICOM (who is suppose to act as a watchdog for service delivery in government MDAs) is not functioning as at today.

However, I will not relent. Whoever the DCG and the rest of them are that engage in self-aggrandisement at the expense of innocent and unsuspecting applicants must be identified and used as a scapegoat. Even if this is the last thing I will succeed in doing before leaving this country for them. I know this will not change the already rotten system but I have sworn that my fiancée will not pay an extra dime to get her new passport processed. We have paid and we should have it without fear or favour.

talk to 08037111012 he helped me sometime ago but I don't know if he is still in abuja

Athina1982:
talk to 08037111012 he helped me sometime ago but I don't know if he is still in abuja

Good morning Sis. Thank you so much. I will do as you have instructed

2022Frustrated:
Good morning Sis. Thank you so much. I will do as you have instructed

Hello bro, was this number of any help on the matter?

Scandinavian:


Hello bro, was this number of any help on the matter?

No. A simple Google search or even a local search on Nairaland and you will realise he is a popular and known scammer. Nigeria is just a useless country else there is no reason why someone like him shouldn't be behind bars by now.

Just check his posts and you will see how he randomly posts his "call this number, he can help you" nonsense on both relevant and irrelevant threads. He parades himself as an EFCC Computer analyst but he is fake as a fibre synthetic.

Scandinavian:


Hello bro, was this number of any help on the matter?

By the way, his name is Mudiaga Obgivwie. He uses female several accounts on Nairaland to lure unsuspecting victims.

Are you also having an issue with NIS?

2022Frustrated:
By the way, his name is Mudiaga Obgivwie. He uses female several accounts on Nairaland to lure unsuspecting victims.

Are you also having an issue with NIS?

Yeah, my wife has an issue with the change of name. She has captured more than a month ago now and it's still a stalemate.

2022Frustrated:
PM me

Done

OP, I admire your courage in fighting for your right and making sure the right things are done. However this is Nigeria and just as one of the officers threatened, be very careful about your security. They would see you as someone who wants to pour sand into their garri. The corruption in Nigeria is like an advanced cancer that has affected every part of the body. The person you complain to likely gets returns from the person you are complaining about, so they only for show attack each other whereas they work together. So be careful of your movements until you eventually escape Nigeria

2022Frustrated:
Good morning Sis. Thank you so much. I will do as you have instructed

did he later helped you

Too bad

Nah corruption make me still dey jobless till date..

I wonder how a strong 2.1 graduate in STEM course like me still job hunting, because I'm from a poor background with nobody at the top to lend a helping hand

This is saddening

I wish u success. Honestly, Nigeria has no sane agency. Everywhere you go, it's always one extortion or another

The system is so rotten that even the ones pretending to help will still extort you in the end. My wife is doing her masters at the Ignatius Ajuru University here in Portharcourt, the extortion from the lecturers and school authority is alarming. If you don't pay they threaten with everything at their disposal. Too bad.

2022Frustrated:
UPDATE: I visited the SERVICOM office and submitted a petition. I also dropped a copy at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), another at the office of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior (NASS) and the last at the Office of the Vice-President via my contact.

A call was made to the NIS from the Vice-President's office and they claimed no one will request for money for approval. They asked my fiancée to return on Tuesday so that her file can be traced and processed.

But I will not stop there......until the day we receive the passport from them.

When next you are going go with mini recording camera to capture the whole show

Sad experience. Worse still, a whole lot of us have accepted the system as it is. You will even see some people fight to maintain the rotten status quo.

2022Frustrated:
He's a scammer

tnks god I didn't loose guard this same guy request 7k from me before he can help me retrieve my phone am sorry bro