Desist from passport racketeering — NIS boss warns

By Matthew Denis Abuja

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (CGI), Muhammad Babandede has warned officers and men against Passport racketeering.

This comes as the suspension placed on the application for International Passports by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was lifted Wednesday.

A statement the made available to journalists the CG noted that with the reopening of the portal, a new Passport application and payment regime has commenced.

The Service maintained that the full weight of the law would be visited on anyone who undermines the ongoing reforms in the service.

The Service announced that Nigerians can now apply for the document as it has opened its Passports Application Portal.

He said effective from June 8, by 12 midnight, the Portal would be opened to allow eligible applicants apply and make payments for various categories of the documents.

“The Passport portal was closed on the 17th of May, 2021 following the directives of Aregbesola to afford the Service the opportunity to clear all backlogs of applications that have piled up across Issuing Centres in the past few months.

He said under the new regime applications and payments for Passport services shall be made through the Service website.

The Comptroller General warned Nigeriansnd Passport applicants to avoid patronizing touts as the entire process has been made seamless for effective and efficient service delivery.

He also warned Passport racketeers to desist from acts capable of undermining the reform efforts in the Service.