UK passport intervention: NIS admits glitch, confirms 230 applications processed

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has addressed reports of disruptions at its ongoing passport intervention exercise in the United Kingdom attributing the delays to a technical glitch that temporarily halted biometric capturing.

The clarification follows viral social media footage on Monday showing frustrated Nigerian passport applicants stranded outside the intervention centre in Manchester.

In a statement, the NIS confirmed that the technical downtime, which predominantly affected the Manchester centre, was swiftly resolved.

The agency however dismissed claims that the special intervention had been cancelled or abandoned, confirming that operations have fully resumed across centers.

A total of 230 applicants with scheduled appointments were successfully processed on the first day of the exercise: 140 in Manchester and 90 in London.

According to the Service, activities at the London centre have continued without disruption, with officials attending to applicants in an orderly, coordinated manner.

The special outreach aims to clear the backlog of outstanding passport applications, manage renewals, and resolve pending consular documentation for Nigerians residing across the United Kingdom.

The NIS reassured the public that systems are currently operating at full capacity, urging applicants to arrive according to their confirmed appointment schedules as processing continues.