A petition has been submitted to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, accusing officers at the Delta State Command in Asaba of corrupt practices.
According to the petition, officers are extorting passport applicants through illegal fees and arbitrary charges. The allegations include excessive and unlawful charges, exorbitant fees for urgent processing, artificial scarcity and manipulation of passport booklets, and deliberate delay for non-payers.
The petitioner, Comrade Victor Ojei, the Lead Activist, Young Nigerian Rights Organization demands immediate investigation and disciplinary actions, eradication of illegal fees, independent monitoring of passport issuance, and a public redress mechanism.
The petition has been copied to various authorities, including the Honourable Minister of Interior, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The petition reads in full: “The Comptroller General,
Nigeria Immigration Service,
Headquarters, Abuja,
(Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria).
“Sir,
“PETITION AGAINST CORRUPT PRACTICES AT THE DELTA STATE COMMAND OF THE NIGERIA IMMIGRATION SERVICE, ASABA, DELTA STATE
“We write to formally bring to your attention the ongoing and deeply entrenched corrupt practices at the Delta State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Asaba. Our findings, based on a recent investigative operation, reveal that officers at this command extort passport applicants through illegal fees and arbitrary charges beyond the official payments prescribed by the Ministry of Interior.
“Summary of Findings:
1. Excessive and Unlawful Charges: Applicants at the Delta State Command are coerced into paying additional fees that are not sanctioned by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). After making the official payment for passport processing, they are compelled to pay a so-called “commitment fee” of ₦12,000, purportedly to cover operational costs, including poor power supply.
2. Exorbitant Fees for Urgent Processing: Applicants requiring expedited service are forced to pay an additional ₦40,000 for express service. Previously, the charge for this was ₦15,000, then increased to ₦20,000, and later hiked to ₦40,000 during the December 2024 peak season when the demand for 10-year passports surged.
3. Artificial Scarcity and Manipulation of Passport Booklets: Officers at the Delta Command allegedly create artificial scarcity of the 66-pages, 10-year validity passport booklet, misleading applicants into believing that the booklet is unavailable. This tactic is employed to extract higher payments from desperate applicants, even though the Headquarters in Abuja has supplied sufficient booklets.
4. Super Agents and Third-Party Exploitation: Our investigation uncovered the involvement of unauthorized “Super Agents” who collect ₦50,000 per applicant, further complicating and commercializing the passport issuance process.
5. Deliberate Delay for Non-Payers: Applicants who refuse to comply with these extortionists demand, deliberate delays in their passport processing. Their applications are either stalled indefinitely or given the lowest priority.
Implications:
These corrupt practices not only violate the Honourable Minister of Interior’s directive that applicants should not pay any additional fees beyond the official payment but also undermine public confidence in the Nigeria Immigration Service. The commercialization of passport issuance disproportionately affects law-abiding citizens, while rewarding corrupt officers who continue to exploit Nigerians for personal gain.
Demands:
1. Immediate Investigation and Disciplinary Actions: We call for a thorough investigation into these corrupt activities, particularly the role of the Passport Controlling Officer in Delta State, and appropriate disciplinary measures against any officer found culpable.
2. Eradication of Illegal Fees: The illegal ₦12,000 “commitment fee” and the ₦40,000 express processing fee should be abolished immediately, with clear public communication to ensure applicants are aware of their rights.
3. Independent Monitoring of Passport Issuance: A monitoring team should be deployed to oversee operations at the Delta State Command to prevent further exploitation of applicants.
4. Public Redress Mechanism: A whistleblower and complaint mechanism should be established to allow affected applicants to report cases of extortion without fear of victimization.
We trust that you will treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves to restore the integrity of the Nigeria Immigration Service. Failure to act swiftly will only embolden these corrupt practices and cause more hardship to Nigerian citizens.
We look forward to your prompt intervention and response.
Yours Faithfully,
Comrade Victor Ojei (Wong Box),
Lead Activist, Young Nigerian Rights Organization. +234 803 878 5262 (WhatsApp)
Cc: 1. The Honourable Minister of Interior, Federal Ministry of Interior, Abuja, Nigeria.
2. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – To track financial transactions linked to extortion and money laundering.
3. Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) – To investigate and prosecute corrupt officers.
4. National Assembly Committees on Interior & Anti-Corruption – To conduct a legislative inquiry and recommend policy changes.
5. State House of Assembly Committee on Public Petitions – To take up cases affecting residents of Delta State.
6. Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) – To investigate officers involved in unethical and corrupt enrichment.
7. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) – To address the human rights violations of applicants denied their passports due to non-payment of illegal fees.
8. SERAP (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project) – To file lawsuits and pressure the government for accountability.
9. Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) – To provide legal assistance to victims of extortion.
10. Media Organizations (Investigative Journalists & Human Rights Reporters) – To expose corrupt practices and keep public attention on the matter.
11. Transparency International (Nigeria Chapter) – To assist in exposing and documenting corruption in passport processing.
