112,351 passports uncollected across Nigeria – NIS boss
The Acting Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Wuraola Adepoju, says 112,351 passport booklets are yet to be collected by applicants across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
The Comptroller General said this during a press briefing at the Service headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.
Adepoju said the figure was as at October 5, 2023.
She said the service had cleared all the 204,332 passport application backlogs after Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s two weeks deadline to the Service.
She said: “91,981 passport booklets had been collected so far.
“There are 112,351 others not yet collected.”
The NIS boss called on applicants to go to their respective application centres to collect the travel document.
“I invite applicants who have applied for passports to come and pick them up without paying anything extra,” Adepoju said.
The Acting CG observed that there was high demand for the travel document in the last few years as a result of the “Japa syndrome” in Nigeria.
She assured that the two weeks timeline set by the Minister for the processing of passports would be adhered to.
Adepoju said: “The Service and its partners had upgraded their facilities to meet the demand for the document by Nigerians.
“NIS is working with its partners to make the passport application process fully automated and when the process is completed, an applicant would only visit a passport office for biometric capturing.”
Adepoju warned applicants to shun touts, urging them to contact the Service via 08067761196 if any personnel demands for bribes from them to get a passport.
“Any personnel caught demanding bribes would be severely punished; the minister has directed that we make a scapegoat of any corrupt official caught,” she said.