Nigerian Immigration Service Embroiled In Extortion Scandal Over Passport Renewals, Accused Of Demanding Unofficial N30,000 Fee
An applicant who spoke to SaharaReporters explained how he was asked to pay extra N30,000 after paying the stipulated N130,000 required for the renewal and change of data.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has been accused of attempting to extort Nigerians applying for passport renewal in Lagos.
An applicant who spoke to SaharaReporters explained how he was asked to pay extra N30,000 after paying the stipulated N130,000 required for the renewal and change of data.
He said, “After paying the required N130,000 as stipulated on the immigration website, I was asked to pay another N30,000 which is not legally provided for.
“If you want to do change of data on the online platform, you are expected to pay N130,000. After paying the money, they will tell you to pay another N30,000 at their office. I was told that the person heading them at Alausa is the one collecting N30,000.”
“I was told that before I can do any capturing, I have to pay the additional N30,000 and we do not understand where it is going,” the victim told SaharaReporters
The victim was also told that if the N30,000 was not paid, his passport will not be released to him.
“I was told that I must pay that N30,000 to stand a chance of getting a passport,” he said.
SaharaReporters checked the NIS website and saw that it cost N100,000 to get a 64-page ten-year passport booklet and another N30,000 to correct data, totalling N130,000.
“Obtaining a passport has been a daunting task,” another frustrated applicant revealed. “Despite paying the required fees and undergoing biometric capture, I was left waiting for weeks with no update on my application’s status.”
It wasn’t until the applicant contacted a well-connected immigration officer at the NIS that the process was expedited.
However, this came at an additional, unofficial cost.
“The whole experience was frustrating and expensive,” the applicant lamented. “It’s unacceptable that ordinary citizens must resort to bribing officials to access basic services like passport issuance.”
The Nigerian government’s promises to reform the Immigration Service seem to be falling short, as the latest developments expose the entrenched corruption within the agency.
Despite efforts to address the issue, corruption remains a significant challenge, undermining the government’s commitment to providing transparent public services.
In January 2023, NIS took some steps to tackle corruption, dismissing four personnel and demoting 14 others for various offenses. However, more needs to be done to eradicate the deep-seated corruption that plagues the system.
Investigations have revealed widespread extortion and corruption at passport offices, with applicants paying more than the approved fees to obtain a passport.
When SaharaReporters called the officially listed phone number of the NIS, a man who answered said while the N130,000 is official, the N30,000 fee is not official.
“I can confirm the N130,000 fee but the N30,000 depends on your understanding with them. Maybe they want to assist you,” the official told SaharaReporters on the phone.
However, the immigration public relations officer, Kenneth Udo, told SaharaReporters that demanding an additional fee is against the standard of the organisation.
“The correct fee is N130,000 and there is no extra N30,000 required to be paid. I am interested in this case as we do not tolerate this kind of behavior and we would investigate the circumstances,” he told SaharaReporters.
The scale of this problem is unclear, with an undetermined number of Nigerians having to pay an extra N30,000 after meeting the published requirements on the Nigerian Immigration Service’s website.
