I found this thread when I searched, because in 2007 or 2008 I applied for a passport, was asked for some extra money for it by an official in Lagos, then when they asked for more money when I went back to collect it because it had the wrong details on it I refused: it had the wrong name and wrong date of birth, so no passport was issued to me. I then reapplied for a passport last week only to find that there is another passport with different surname, different date of birth (3 years younger), with my biometrics, in issue from 2008.

Not sure how that passport would be useful to anyone, unless they have a means to reprogram the passport chip with new biometrics. However, it causes me a problem now I applied for a new passport, even though a passport issued in 2008 would have expired by now (I assume). When I applied in 2007 or 2008, I used the same name and date of birth that I am using now (I was only born once :-) ). Last week when I applied for a passport, the official wanted 100,000 Naira extra to issue me my passport (in addition to the official fee, bank fee etc I paid of just under 10,000 Naira). Accidental or deliberate errors they make on passports is clearly a very profitable business opportunity for officials! I am not sure whether their process at the time was just sloppy or they were trying to hang onto the bribed income they had with the old passports. Errors with spelling or a date seem common with their system based on other reports, but in my case the whole surname is totally different and the year of birth is 3 years younger than I am! Or perhaps the reason I am being asked for 100,000 Naira now is there is something on the computer that I refused to pay the 2nd extra unofficial fee they wanted?

My name and date of birth is attested by the national ID card confirmation papers, the birth registration certificate, the declaration of origin papers from my village, my driving license. But to get a new passport will cost me 110,000 Naira, all due to a corrupt official 6 or 7 years ago when the biometric passports were being introduced.

I do not want to pay anything to any official, other than the proper fees which I have already paid. Paying extra from my experience last time is probably no guarantee that I will actually get a correct passport.

The passport must have the right name on it, because I am not using it for travel: I need it to sit the exams - only a passport is recognised as ID in Lagos by the examination board.

Is there a proper and correct way to get this sort of problem sorted out?