The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is facing widespread allegations of extortion as passport applicants in Lagos accuse officials of demanding an unofficial fee of N30,000 for passport renewals.
The illegal fee, which is reportedly being collected after the stipulated N130,000 official payment for the renewal and change of data, has sparked outrage among Nigerians.
An applicant, while speaking with SaharaReporters, recounted his ordeal with immigration officers at the NIS office in Alausa, Lagos.
According to him, after paying the required N130,000 as advertised on the NIS website, he was instructed to pay an additional N30,000, which is not legally mandated.
“After paying the N130,000 for the renewal and data change, they demanded another N30,000 when I got to the office,” he said.
“I was told that the head of the immigration unit in Alausa was the one collecting the fee. Without paying this, I was told I couldn’t proceed with the data capturing process, and my passport wouldn’t be released.”
Other applicants shared similar experiences, describing the passport renewal process as both frustrating and financially draining.
One individual lamented how, despite completing biometric capture and paying all official fees, his application was left pending for weeks without any communication from the NIS.
“The whole experience was frustrating and expensive,” said the applicant. “It’s unacceptable that citizens are forced to bribe officials to access basic services like passport issuance.”
The NIS website lists the official cost of obtaining a 64-page, 10-year passport booklet at N100,000, with an additional N30,000 required for data changes, totaling N130,000.
However, it appears that officials are taking advantage of applicants by imposing the unofficial N30,000 charge on top of the established fees.
Efforts to reach the Nigerian Immigration Service for clarification yielded conflicting responses.
While a NIS official confirmed that the official fee is indeed N130,000, he insinuated that the extra N30,000 fee might be a matter of “understanding” between the applicants and officers.
“I can confirm the N130,000 fee is official, but the N30,000 depends on your arrangement with them.Maybe they’re trying to assist you,” the official said.
In contrast, NIS Public Relations Officer Kenneth Udo denied the legality of the additional fee and expressed concern over the reports of extortion.
“The correct fee is N130,000, and there is no extra N30,000 required to be paid. This behavior is against our standards, and we will investigate the circumstances,” Udo stated.
The allegations have further exposed the deep-rooted corruption within the NIS, undermining the government’s efforts to reform the agency and provide transparent public services.
Although the agency dismissed four personnel and demoted 14 others for various offenses in January 2023, the latest scandal shows that corruption remains a persistent issue.
With an undetermined number of Nigerians reportedly falling victim to this scheme, pressure is mounting on the NIS to address the extortion and ensure that applicants are only charged the stipulated fees.
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