Some Nigerian applicants have accused officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service of extorting them at the Abuja passport office
“Nigerians should not have to queue endlessly to get passports. No, this must stop.”
The NIS board has directed the acting comptroller-general of the organisation, Isah Jere, to hand over to his immediate junior.
The victims, five females and a male, are from Oyo and Nassarawa states, and are aged between 20 and 35 years.
Mr Aregbesola urged NIS to beam its searchlight on erring officers bent on exploiting passport and visa applications processing to feather their nest.
Two Nigerians and one irregular Cameroonian migrant, who confessed to be a member of the Ambazonia separatist group, were arrested.
“How long can they continue to run from the state? The state is a patient bird. You can run, but you can never hide. We have their biometrics.”
Their On Duty Cards were also withdrawn permanently, and they have been banned from working in any Nigerian airport, to serve as deterrent to others.
“The victims were on their way to Europe through the Nigerien border.”
The Lagos NIS office said Nigerians should utilise the NIS website when applying for passports and to supply all the information required.
