The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has cautioned Nigerians against patronising touts and racketeers, saying the new international passport processing regime stipulates a six-week duration for fresh applicants.

Milka Musa, the comptroller of the Lagos Passport Command, on Friday disclosed this at a news conference.

Mrs Musa stressed that all those wishing to obtain international passports must follow due process instead of engaging in racketeering with dubious individuals.

She appealed to Nigerians to utilise the NIS website when applying for passports and to supply all the information required.

“The new appointment regime prescribes six weeks for fresh passports and three weeks for renewal and collection,” Mrs Musa said.

The immigration chief explained that once the application is submitted to the service online, the applicant would be given a date by NIS for passport processing.

She noted that “applicants that normally besiege the passport offices have been put under control,” adding that NIS would not spare any official who colluded with touts to extort passport seekers.

“Nigerians must stop patronising racketeers, it’s very wrong,” she warned.

(NAN)