Comrade Victor Ojei (Wong Box), Lead Activist, Young Nigerian Rights Organization, has petitioned the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, demanding a probe of the alleged corrupt practices at the Delta State Command of the Nigeria immigration service, Asaba, Delta State.
According to Ojei, “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.”
Ojei also said that summary findings showed that applicants at the Delta State Command were coerced into paying additional fees that are not sanctioned by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
He explained that after making the official payment for passport processing, customers are compelled to pay a so-called “commitment fee” of ₦12,000, purportedly to cover operational costs, including poor power supply.
Ojei also said: “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.
“Officers at the Delta Command allegedly create artificial scarcity of the 66-page, 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.
“Our investigation uncovered the involvement of unauthorized “Super Agents” who collect ₦50,000 per applicant, further complicating and commercializing the passport issuance process. 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.”
The activist opined that these malpractices in the NIS Delta Command have dire implications.
His words: 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.”
He thereafter demanded: “ 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.
“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.
“A monitoring team should be deployed to oversee operations at the Delta State Command to prevent further exploitation of applicants.
“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.”
