TheNewsGuru

Tag: NIS

  • Nigerian Consulate in New York laments increasing fake divorce documents

    Nigerian Consulate in New York laments increasing fake divorce documents

    The Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York, has lamented the increasing number of fake divorce documents received from its nationals for certification in 2021.

    A report on the activities of the Consulate for 2021, said that the documents, purportedly issued by various courts in Nigeria, were presented to the Consulate-General for certification.

    “This development is worrisome as such documents, including Decree NISI and Absolute, ostensibly to dissolve marriages contracted in Nigeria, would have been first submitted to host authorities, and only presented to the Consulate for certification after being rejected by host authorities.

    “To curtail these unwholesome practices, the Consulate insisted that on the documents being first certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, being re-certified for presentation to U.S. authorities.

    “The Consulate recommends strengthening of vetting and certification process of documents presented for authentication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, intended for use abroad.

    “This is to ensure the genuineness of these documents and avoid embarrassment to the Consulate and Nigeria. It is pertinent to state that the Consulate has limitations in independently verifying documents emanating from Nigerian agencies at home.’’

    According to the report, the Consulate rendered necessary assistance within its mandate, particularly through certification of documents to nationals to regularise their stay in the U.S. in 2021.

    “There has been increasing number of Nigerians visiting the Consulate-General to seek assistance to facilitate regularisation of their stay, following the promise by President Joe Biden, to grant law abiding foreigners their stay.’’

    In addition, it said that the Consulate-General had succeeded in checking the forgery of authorisation letter from the Federal Ministry of Health for waiver to bring human remains back to Nigeria for burial.

    Prior to 2021, the Funeral Homes had their accomplices in Lagos, who forged the Ministry of Health letter, the Consulate succeeded in getting the Ministry of Health to send sample of its signatories, which was used to evaluate applications for waivers.

    It said that the Mission received and processed request for assistance from Nigerians in Prisons, as well as those stranded in the U.S. for various reasons.

    However, it said that the Consulate-General was limited in this regard by budget constraints.

    Also, it said that it rendered assistance to detained Nigerians arrested by host enforcement agencies, particularly the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (NIS), Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local police authorities.

    “Following the receipt of such information, the department of Consular and Welfare at the Consulate would contact the detainee, through the law enforcement officer handling the specific case.

    “The department will contact law enforcement officer handling the case to determine or confirm the Nigerian nationality/identity of detainee, the nature of the offence, the condition under which the Nigerian was being held.

    “This information will help us to confirm the nature of assistance the detainee required from the Mission.

    “Depending on the nature of the offence, some of the detainees were released on bail, while others were kept in detention awaiting court appearances,’’ it said.

    During the year under review, the Consulate was involved in special events, which included the Remembrance Ceremony for victims of COVID-19 in the U.S.

    “The event which took place on June 19, 2021 and was attended by many notable Nigerians, including Ms Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of UN.

    “Similarly, the Mission organised three Town Hall meetings with Nigerians in April, July and October. Dr Uzoma Emenike, Ambassador of Nigeria to the U.S. was a special guest at October edition of the event,’’ it said.

  • Passport: NIS urges Nigerians to exercise patience

    Passport: NIS urges Nigerians to exercise patience

    The Cross River Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the service for sequential production and issuance of their passports.

    The NIS Comptroller, in the state, Mr Simbabi Baikie, gave the advice on Tuesday, at the 2022 SERVICOM week celebration of the command in Calabar with theme “Excellence Service Delivery, a Panacea for Corruption.”

    Baikie, who was represented by Mr Abubakar Abdulkadir, NIS Deputy Comptroller, said that the command always met the demands of the applicants, hence the need for them to show understanding while they await the production of their passports.

    The comptroller said that the customer week was to enlighten members of the public on the internal and external services rendered by the command and for feedback on areas to improve on.

    He listed the services rendered to include monitoring of entry and exit of immigrants into the country, issuing of temporary work permit, diplomatic and tourist visas, and passports to eligible Nigerians.

    Baikie said most Nigerians were impatient when applying for their passports, hence the pressure on the passport control officer.

    “Somebody can apply for his or her international passport online and then visit the command that he wants the passport on that same day; this is not possible.

    “Applicants should not wait until they are in need of passport before they come for it.

    “Most Nigerians come to apply for passport a week to their visa interview and want it within that week and this is not possible.

    “Even if you don’t have any need for a passport, you can have it as a bonafide Nigerian because it runs for several years.

    “Anytime an opportunity comes, you can use your passport and apply or go for the the appointment, rather than come within a short time and put us under pressure to produce it,” he said.

    The comptroller, therefore, advised Nigerians to visit any NIS passport office closer to them and apply for their international passports accordingly.

    He said that questionnaires had been sent out to members of the public with a view to get their perception and areas the command could improve upon.

    Speaking, the Passport Control Officer of the Command, Mrs Clementina Ogbudu said her primary responsibility was to issue passports to bonafide Nigerians, irrespective of state or tribe.

    Ogbudu said that between Jan. 4 and Feb. 14, the command produced 1,617 passports, adding that 281 had been issued to the applicants while others were still pending.

    She said that an applicant seeking to have a passport must meet certain requirements: produce a certificate of state of origin, a declaration of age or birth certificate as the case may be and a guarantor who has a valid passport.

    She urged applicants to always be patient after the application stage, and called on those yet to collect their passports to do so accordingly.

  • 2022 budget: Nigeria Immigration Service to spend N209.5m on uniforms

    2022 budget: Nigeria Immigration Service to spend N209.5m on uniforms

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) will spend over N209.5 million on uniforms and other clothing in the 2022 budget.

    This is according to a breakdown of the expenditure figures of the NIS as contained in the 2022 budget recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The NIS will also spend over N76.5 million on the supply of foodstuffs and catering materials.

    The service will as well spend another N10.7 million on “Refreshments and Meals” while its security charges will gulp N71.65 million.

    President Buhari had on December 31, 2021 signed into law the 2022 budget totalling N17 trillion.

    He had, however, queried the National Assembly for inserting 6,576 new projects worth about N37 billion into the budget.

  • Why Nigeria’s international passport is scarce – Immigration

    Why Nigeria’s international passport is scarce – Immigration

    Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Isa Idris opened up on why Nigeria’s international passport is scarce.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Idris made this known on Saturday during a virtual media interaction, where he blamed delays in production of passports on the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Idris stressed that global lockdowns that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, and the difficulty in accessing foreign exchange in the country affected the production of passports.

    He, however, assured Nigerians that by March 2022 the delay in renewing international passports or getting new ones will be a thing of the past.

    Idris stressed part of the efforts towards addressing the problem is the launch of the enhanced e-passport, which he noted has been embedded with improved features.

    He said it has been launched in the United Kingdom and in some Nigerian centres; Kano, Port Harcourt and Ibadan.

    “Just Friday we received a total of 45,000 booklets towards clearing the backlogs and in December alone, we received more than 100,000 booklets which we have continued to distribute across the passport centres nationwide. This is not just for Nigerians in Nigeria alone but for those in the Diaspora as well.

    “But with the introduction of the enhanced e-Passport, we are good to go in our efforts towards addressing the scarcity. This enhanced e-passport is a great improvement on the biometric passport technology which we adopted as a country in 2007. It is a strategic step towards curbing forgery, impersonation and other forms of fraud associated with obtaining travel documents under the old Machine Readable Passport regime,” Idris said.

    On behalf of the service, Idris pleaded with Nigerians to apply only online and stop physical contact with immigration officials to avoid corruption.

    “We have continued to try to stop personal contacts with our officials. My predecessor started to break the jinx and we are continuing on that,” he said.

    The comptroller-general also condemned what he described as the last-minute rush for either renewal or fresh application for international passports, saying applicants for renewal can apply for it six months to the expiration of their current passports.

  • BREAKING: Presidency raises alarm of possible December terrorists attack in Abuja

    BREAKING: Presidency raises alarm of possible December terrorists attack in Abuja

    The Presidency has raised an alarm of a possible attack by terrorists in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) this December.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) made this known in letters addressed to security agencies in the country.

    Consequently, the Federal Government has directed all security agencies in the country to beef up security arrangements this Christmas and New Year Holiday Season, with special emphasis on Abuja.

    Following the directive, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has charged sector commanders to immediately deploy proactive measures against the identified potential threat, not just to prevent it, but to also arrest and prosecute the culprits.

    According to a statement by the NIS, following the directive, the planned attack is expected to happen between 17 and 31 December, 2021.

    The purported Abuja attack is said to be masterminded by one Drahmane Ould Ali, who also goes by the name, Mohammed Ould Sidat.

    He is said to possess multiple passports, one of which is an Algerian diplomatic passport with the name; Najim Ould Ibrahim. He is suspected to be in the company of a Nigerien accomplice, one Zahid Aminon, who might also have a pseudonym.

    The intelligence gathered also suggested that the terrorists are already in the West African sub region. They are suspected to be around the Mali-GAO-Niger Republic ambience. They are said to have collaborators on ground in Nigeria for the attacks planned for between 17th and 31st of December. They are said to have access to funds, logistics like vehicles and other supplies.

    It was gathered that the prime actors of the Abuja terror plot are be likely to migrate into the country through land borders.

    All Sector Commanders of Immigrations are therefore urged to intensify alert levels and response timing within their jurisdictions. It said all entry and exit points, including at Air, Land and Sea borders must be effectively and efficiently guarded at these times, as a measure to nip the terrorist’s plan in the bud.

    The statement NIS reads: “The Office of the Ag CGI is in receipt of a Security Report (URGENT) from the Presidency (OSGF).

    “The import is about a looming attack on Nigeria’s Capital City, Abuja, between 17 and 31 December, 2021.

    “The planned attack is purportedly being led by one DRAHMANE, OULD ALI, aka Mohammed Ould Sidat, an Algerian national to be assisted by one Zahid Aminon, a Nigerien national.

    “The report indicates the duo are enroute Nigeria from Mali through Gan and Niger Republic, riding a white Toyota Hilux van with Reg. No- AG157EKY. That these two had four Nigerian accomplices who are already embedded in the country.

    “It is further reported that Ali holds Algerian Diplomatic Passport with the name Najim Ould Ibrahim.

    “Consequently, I am directed to request you to intensify alert levels, emplace necessary counter measures at all our entry/exit points- Air, Land, Sea/Marine, including, but not limited to, surveillance, rigorous search on persons and vehicles, transhumance, to effectuate the immediate arrest of these terrorists/countervail this and any terrorist attacks in Abuja”.

  • FG inaugurates enhanced e-passport in UK

    FG inaugurates enhanced e-passport in UK

    The Federal Government has inaugurated enhanced e-passport to improve passport application process for Nigerians at home and abroad.

    Mr Sola Fasure, the Media Adviser to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made known in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to him, the minister made the disclosure at the official rollout of the enhanced e-passport at the Nigerian High Commission, London.

    The minister, who revealed that the Nigerian passport was the highest affirmation of Nigerian citizenship, noted that it was the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide the passport without any stress and within a reasonable period.

    “What we have come to do here (UK) is symbolic of the core mandate of the ministry and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria affirmation of citizenship integrity.

    “As we are all aware, there have been huge challenges in passport administration, from shortage of booklet to touting and an economy of corruption built around it.

    “These challenges have persisted for too long and a lot of people have become cynical while others have taken them as normal and then roll with it.

    “But I come from a tradition of problem-solving in public administration.

    “I do not believe that any problem is insurmountable, so we are going to solve all the problems associated with passport administration and we are already succeeding, “ he said.

    On the features of the enhanced passport, Aregbesola noted that it was a big improvement over the standard passport that was introduced back in 2007.

    He said it has more sophisticated security features, making it one of the most secured passports in the world.

    ​“The enhanced e-passport is a great improvement on the biometric passport technology which Nigeria adopted in 2007 as a strategic step towards curbing forgery.

    “Impersonation and other forms of frauds associated with obtaining travel document under the old machine readable passport regime.

    “We are aware that technology rules the world and we are keeping abreast of the latest development in the field.

    “Over the years, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had worked assiduously and in close synergy with Messrs Iris Smart Technologies Limited to develop and implement passport reforms,’’ he said.

    Aregbesola said the reforms are in tandem with international best practices, including extant International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Standards and Regulations.

    The minister, who seized the opportunity to reel out some of the achievements of the NIS under his tenure, noted that the service had issued a total of 2.7 million Nigerian passports in the past two years.

    “ We have taken substantial measures to address the issue of shortage of passport booklets.

    “In 2021, the ministry approved the deployment of over 600,000 booklets, the largest of its kind ever done.

    “That is not all. The NIS, through MIDAS, is now connected to INTERPOL and can upload information to the agency on lost, stolen and invalidated passports in real time.

    “The ministry has consistently provided the enabling environment for the NIS to undertake and implement several reforms especially, with regard to border management and passport administration, as well as internal monitoring and control mechanisms,“ he said.

    According to him, the aim is to enhance efficient and effective service delivery to Nigerians and foreigners alike,” the minister said.

    In his remarks, the Acting Comptroller-General of NIS, Isa Jere, expressed the service’s readiness to meet the demands for passports in the UK.

    Jere stated that his officers were ever ready to roll out the new passports at the official rate published on the NIS website.

    “We are ready to serve the public and start rolling out the new enhanced e-passport in the UK with immediate effect. Our staff are professionals and will deliver excellent service to our citizens.

    “Those who have any complaints whatsoever are advised to use the publicly listed complaints channels to adequately resolve any issues raised,”Jere advised.

  • Passport racketeering: Immigration sends serious warning to offenders

    Passport racketeering: Immigration sends serious warning to offenders

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has sent a serious warning to everyone involved in spoiling the image of the service, especially those involved in passport racketeering.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the NIS sent out this warning following a report by this medium on how officials of the service collude with officials of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to extort passport applicants.

    Mr Ibrahim Liman, the Passport Control Officer (PCO) at the office of NIS in Ikoyi, Lagos State, gave the warning, stressing that the service was inundated by a deluge of complaints regarding passport racketeering and cases of uncleared backlogs of passports among others.

    He vowed that his office would fish out and sanctioned offenders appropriately.

    Speaking during an interview on Sunday in Lagos, revealed that the NIS has extended its working days to include Saturdays and Sundays to meet the demands of its applicants.

    Liman, a Deputy Controller of Immigration (DCI), added that the office also had issued no less than 15,000 passports to qualified applicants since his assumption of office in June 2021.

    According to him, the office has extended its operational days to include Saturdays and Sundays in order to meet the demands of thousands of applicants who trooped in , into the office to obtain the documents

    He urged Nigerians to see beyond the fact that the passport is just a travelling document ,saying it should be seen as a security document that would help them in many ways.

    He stressed that his office was fully committed to efficient service delivery and it would not relent in justifying its operational mandate.

    Liman also warned those who were always indulging in passport racketeering to desist from the act or face severe consequences.

    The PCO emphasised that his department had been working unrelentingly to meet the demands of applicants and adhering to due process required in obtaining it.

    He explained that some challenges might hinder the timely release of some international passports to prospective applicants.

    He said that this would be due to the need for discreet investigation to be conducted by the department on such applicants to determine their elligibility.

    Liman , however, stressed that NIS would not hesitate to discipline anyone found to be involved in defrauding or shortchanging any applicants found to be engaging either in sharp practices or any illicit acts capable of spoiling the name of the department.

    He said that the Nigeria Immigration Service would continue to remain one of the best passport issuers globally.

    “The service has recently introduced additional sophiscticated measures toward checking attitudes inimical to the conduct of its official duties, especially, issues to do with corruption” he added.

    He appealed to applicants to always endeavour to visit the NIS Servicom department in all passport offices to make enquiries.

    “NIS has reiterated that all qualified prospective seekers of the travel document should apply online,” he added.

    He lamented that some applicants used to be impatient and were always in a hurry to push their ways to get the document in few hours and finally get things messed up.

    “Can this be done in advanced countries?

    “I specially appeal to prospective applicants to visit : immigration.gov.ng, which serves as the service website to apply and make payments for their passports” he added.

  • Special report: Nigerians continue to suffer at NIMC centres nationwide

    Special report: Nigerians continue to suffer at NIMC centres nationwide

    In the fallout from an investigative report published by TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), Nigerians across the country have narrated the unabated extortion they are made to suffer in the hands of officials of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

    TNG had earlier published the first part of its investigative report on how NIMC officials collude with officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to extort innocent passport applicants in their offices.

    In the report, TNG highlighted how officials of both agencies are taking advantage, and exploring the bottleneck and bureaucratic practices surrounding registration for National Identification Number (NIN), and updating of NIN data, to exploit Nigerians.

    Following the publication of the report, the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG) invited the Deputy Editor of TNG, Mr Ediri Oyibo and Mr Lukman Adefolahan, a public affairs analyst to a radio programme on 99.9 Kiss FM, Abuja to discuss details and implications of the investigative piece.

    The radio programme known as Public Conscience, supported by MacArthur Foundation, received live phone calls from Nigerians to share their experience in the process of registering for and updating their NIN data.

    “When I went to my home town in Benue State to do my NIN, it was with money. We were asked to pay one thousand Naira to be registered. After we paid the one thousand Naira, officials started attending to some other persons who paid N2,000 and above. So, what they did is that they sidelined those of us who paid one thousand Naira.

    “After paying the one thousand Naira, it will still take up to one week before you are registered. Every day you go to the centre, those who paid N2,000 and above are attended to before others. It is after they finish attending to the last person who paid N2,000 and above before they will start giving attention to those of us who paid one thousand Naira. The whole process is just so corrupt,” one caller said during the programme.

    TNG reports testimonies of other callers from different States during the programme were not different from the narrative presented by this particular caller. The different testimonies during the radio programme corroborated the investigative report by TNG.

    Meanwhile, Mr Adefolahan also narrated his own NIN experience, while calling on citizens to continue to resist any attempt by government officials to extort them.

    He urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to take up the report and conduct a corruption risk assessment to identify the vulnerabilities in these agencies and design a plan to mitigate such practices in other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government.

    “With this report from NIMC, I expect the ICPC that has the mandate to conduct system review across over 900 MDAs, to pick this report and conduct a corruption risk assessment to identify the vulnerabilities in these agencies and design a plan to mitigate such in other MDAs.

    “Myself, I went to the centre and say this is my NIN, but they told me I have to go to their headquarters, that I will need to go and update it. Why do I have to go and update a NIN my bank sent to me through my BVN.

    “Many Nigerians have NIN without knowing. Assuming we have a centralised database, once you key that in, you should be able to get what you want. I have a NIMC centre very close to my office. They are collecting one thousand Naira from every Nigerian before they can register them for NIN.

    “If we have a NIMC centre in the NIS headquarters in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT), and this kind of rot is going on where we have the Comptroller-General of Immigration, you can imagine what is going on across the country,” Adefolahan said.

    TNG reports the public affairs analyst stressed that it was high time the government began to see media houses and civil societies as partners, and not foes. He stressed the need for NIMC to harmonize the data of Nigerians so that the loopholes created would not be there to exploit.

    When asked what prompted the need to beam searchlight on the NIS and the NIMC, Mr Oyibo said it was out of the deluge of complaints received that undercover reporters were mobilized to ascertain the true position of things at the NIS headquarters.

    Read an extract of PRIMORG interview with TNG’s Deputy Editor at 99.9 Kiss FM, Abuja below:

    Give us an overview of the investigation your media house carried out

    Thank you very much for another opportunity to further expose ongoing rot and corruption taking place in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

    In summary, we investigated how NIS and NIMC officials collude to extort innocent persons who apply to get the Nigerian international passport; how the bottlenecks and bureaucratic practices in both agencies encourage corruption in the system.

    The investigation, published on TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), principally reveals the rot and corruption ongoing in both agencies – the NIS and the NIMC.

    The Service at the time our investigation was published was under the purview of Mohammad Babandede, whose tenure expired this September following his retirement after 36 years of service. The NIS is now being led by Idris Jere as Comptroller-General in an acting capacity.

    While the NIMC, previously under the purview of the Presidency, is now under the purview of Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.

    Why did you decide to beam your searchlight on NIS and NIMC

    The need to beam searchlight on the NIS and the NIMC came up as a result of so many complaints and reports of corruption in the Commission that we received.

    The complaints came from so many people who are having challenges in securing the Nigerian international passport as a result of issues with data mismatch between their BVN and NIN.

    Following the complaints we received, we carried out desk research and found out that the Facebook page of the NIMC is filled with similar complaints, all of them unattended to.

    So, we mobilized an undercover reporter to have a first-hand experience, and to report on the experience.

    Away from the complaints we received, on Friday, 1st of October 2021, that is next week Friday, Nigeria will mark independence. From 1960 till date, 61 years, Nigeria doesn’t have the means to legally identify her citizens and a unified database of her citizens.

    You see politicians go on national TV to say, people wreaking havoc in the country are not Nigerians, but aliens. Security in Nigeria is at ground zero. How do we identify Nigerians from non-Nigerians?

    In September 2015, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    The United Nations under the SDGs set certain targets for countries of the world to achieve, with the mantra: “leaving no one behind”. But it seems Nigeria is being left behind.

    One of the target areas where Nigeria is being left behind is the area of identity for every Nigerian, which falls under Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

    The target of the SDG states that: “By 2030, Nigeria should have provided legal identity for every Nigerian, including birth registration”.

    However, 2030 is around the corner; that is, 9 years from now, Nigeria has only been able to achieve about 31 per cent of legal identity for every Nigerian.

    This legal identity is what we have come to know as the National Identity Card, which National Identification Number or NIN represents.

    To put it in perspective, 31 per cent means Nigeria has only been able to capture 62 million unique NIN on the National Identity Database.

    The projection is that there are over 200 million people in Nigeria; meaning there is 69 per cent of people to cover before 2030. If you add new births, the number will be higher.

    So, we needed to investigate why there are lapses; and the bottlenecks and bureaucratic practices that impede the government from achieving set agenda.

    Let’s go deeper a bit; can you explain how these extortions take place at the headquarters of Nigeria Immigration Service?

    The federal government in December 2020 licensed 173 centres and 30 State government institutions to conduct the enrollment of NIN across Nigeria.

    These centres and institutions, when they capture NIN, the data sit idle on the local computer, when it is supposed to synchronise with the central database of NIMC.

    When you need such NINs for verification purposes, that is where the trouble starts.

    This is bearing in mind that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N25 billion for NIMC to upgrade its database infrastructure.

    Away from that, when the federal government introduced BVN in 2014 to curb or reduce illegal banking transactions in Nigeria, BVN generated NIN for people who partook in the exercise.

    And according to data obtained from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), there are 44 million records of BVNs in Nigeria.

    However, according to the Director-General of the NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, only 15 million people with BVN have been linked with NIN.

    This means 29 million people with BVN are yet to be linked with NIN. Of these 29 million people, a big chunk of them has incomplete data or wrong data captured for them so that when they want to use NIN for verification purposes, they have issues.

    The language they use for the issue at both NIMC and NIS offices is “your NIN never drop”, meaning “your NIN is yet to drop”.

    So, we have some set of people who have correct data on their NIN but the NIN is yet to synchronise with the central database of NIMC, and others whose NINs are in the database of the NIMC but their data do not match with their BVN.

    What many don’t know is that BVN-generated NIN must be verified in order to access NIMC.

    So, you go to Immigration to process your international passport, and you are faced with either of these two challenges.

    For NIS to capture your biometrics, the biodata on your NIN must be verified against the data you filled while applying for the passport online. When there is a mismatch, the passport application returns NIN verification failed.

    The Immigration officer capturing your biometric will then advise you to go to the nearest NIMC centre to get your data corrected.

    In the case of NIS headquarters here in Abuja, there is a NIMC centre right on the premises.

    Now, to modify the data on your NIN, there are mandatory requirements.

    First, you have to present the original copy of the NIN slip issued at first registration.

    You have to make payments through Remita and have the printout of the Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) Number.

    The mandatory requirements are listed on the website of the NIMC.

    However, TNG findings reveal that NIMC officials do not comply with the mandatory requirements for modification of NIN data, as officials of the Commission cut corners and flagrantly flout the laid down procedures for the modification of NIN data.

    Findings by this medium when its reporter visited the NIS headquarters revealed that NIMC officials coerce applicants who want to modify their NIN data.

    They fraudulently collect money from them and jump the mandatory requirements to modify the NIN data for them.

    People pay as high as N50,000 to N70,000 to get their data corrected.

    On top of that, after making the correction, you will still have to wait for the updated NIN to drop on the central database of the NIMC.

    They will now tell you that if you want the NIN to drop quicker, you will have to make further payments.

    This is the agony some passport applicants are passing through across the country as a result of lapses in the NIMC under the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

    Mind you the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved N25 billion for NIMC to upgrade it’s database infrastructure.

    Who and who is involved?

    As said, the NIMC under the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy is the enabler of this brazen corruption taking place.

    Passport Officers, Immigration Assistants and Biometric Capture Officers at NIMC centres are involved in this.

    Does the extortion apply in State offices?

    The answer is yes. We conducted desk research and parts of it involved scrutinizing the social media handles of the NIMC to aggregate complaints.

    Our finding was shocking. All of the complaints on the Facebook page of NIMC were left unattended to. We took the pains to reach out to every person that left complaints about NIN dropping on the NIMC Facebook page.

    Our interactions with them showed that the extortion is happening across the country.

    Did you get any response from Immigration or NIMC authorities on the fraud taking place in their respective agencies?

    No responses whatsoever. Even calls put through were not answered, and the calls were not returned.

    Several efforts to reach NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr Amos Okpu, an Assistant Comptroller, and Director of Corporate Communications of NIMC, Kayode Adegoke to address the matter proved abortive.

    If you go through the Facebook page of the NIMC, you will see that all complaints there concerning this matter are left unattended to, yet they make fresh posts almost on a daily basis.

    Are you aware of any action taken against the officers involved in the scam?

    None. No actions were taken.

    What are the ranks of the Immigration officers involved in extortion of passport applicants?

    In every organization, there are good, and as well bad elements. Officers involved in the brazen act of corruption, and are low ranking officers.

    However, this does not absolve top-ranking officers of wrongdoing as the enabling environment for the corrupt act thrives because top-ranking officers allowed it.

    However, Passport Officers, Immigration Assistants and Biometric Capture Officers at NIMC centres are involved in this.

    Besides the extortion of passport applicants at Immigration office, did you come across any other corrupt act?

    Extortion, cohesion for monetary gains, is the biggest setback we observed. If this is curbed, it will go a long way in repositioning the NIS for good. However, there is brazen disregard for due process, and disregard for the welfare of applicants.

    What will be your next line of action now that the report is out and the concerned authorities are yet to act on it?

    You know, there is this deep-rooted impunity prevailing with those in power in Nigeria. Those in power in Nigeria feel they are untouchable, and that they can do all what is not, and get away with it.

    For a person of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy whose character and integrity is badly dented already, he doesn’t need much prodding before he did the needful.

    The NIMC under the purview of Pantami is the agency among the two actually culpable in aiding the ongoing corruption. The Minister has to sit up and close the loophole.

    However, what we have out is the first instalment of the report. We have records of names of those involved in the extortion that we might be forced to release to the public if both the NIS and the NIMC should continue to maintain impunity.

    Meanwhile, according to PRIMORG, an invitation was extended to the management of NIMC to send a representative of the Commission for the radio programme.

    TNG reports, however, no representative of the NIMC was present all through the duration of the radio programme.

  • Ex-Rivers Gov Peter Odili drags Immigration to Court over passport seizure at Abuja Airport

    Ex-Rivers Gov Peter Odili drags Immigration to Court over passport seizure at Abuja Airport

    Former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili, has dragged the Nigeria Immigration Service, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the seizure of his passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    In the fundamental rights enforcement suit on Wednesday, he claimed that the international passport was seized from him on June 20, by operatives of the service and has been withheld since then.

    Odili prayed the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, to compel the service to release the passport and order a perpetual injunction against the respondents, from harassing him any further and interfering with his fundamental rights of movement.

    However, the immigration service revealed that the former governor’s passport was seized because he was on the watchlist of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    The affidavit by the service also indicated that Mr Odili had never cared to know why his passport was seized, or demand its release.

    Justice Mohammed subsequently fixed September 28, 2021 for hearing.

  • Ex-Governor of Rivers, Odili placed on EFCC watch list, barred from leaving Nigeria

    Ex-Governor of Rivers, Odili placed on EFCC watch list, barred from leaving Nigeria

    Former Governor of Rivers State, Mr Peter Odili has been placed on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) and barred from travelling out of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) revealed this on Wednesday in response to a suit filed by Odili challenging the seizure of his international passport by the service.

    When the matter was called on Wednesday, counsel to the service, Mr Jimoh Adamu informed the court that he had just filed a counter affidavit to oppose the suit of the former governor.

    Adamu sought a brief adjournment to enable him put his house in order.

    Odili’s counsel, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe did not oppose the request for a short adjournment.

    Justice Mohammed then adjourned the matter until Sept. 28 for hearing.

    The former governor had dragged the NIS and it’s Comptroller-General to the Federal High Court challenging the seizure of his passport at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja for undisclosed reasons.

    In the fundermental rights enforcement suit, he claimed that the international passport with number B50031305 was seized from him on June 20 by operatives of the service.

    Odili prayed the court to compel the two respondents to release the passport to him.

    He also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction against the service from further harrassing, embarrassing, intimidating or interfering with his fundermental right to freedom of movement.

    The former governor also demanded a written apology for the embarrassment caused him by the service.

    In a counter affidavit, the service justified the seizure of Odili’s passport and faulted his claims in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/965/2021.

    “The applicant’s passport was seized because he is on the service’s (NIS’) watch list as requested by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

    “It is the government’s policy that streamlines the security agencies present at the point of entry/exit from the country.

    “The respondents (NIS and its Comptroller-General) are the lead agency for the above stated function.

    “All security agencies collaborate by submitting list of any person on the watch list to the respondents.

    “By virtue of Section 31 of the Immigration Act 2015, the respondents are empowered to prevent the departure from Nigeria where there is a request to arrest such a person in the public interest as requested in the instant case by the EFCC.

    “By the above section of the Immigration Act, the respondents are empowered to seize the applicant’s international passport because he was watch listed sequel to EFCC requested,” it said.

    The NIS argued that Odili’s suit was pre-mature as he allegedly failed to meet the condition precedent to the filing of such suits.

    “This action is premature and incompetent as the applicant failed to serve pre-action notice on the service as condition precedent before filing this suit against the respondents.

    “The failure to serve pre-action notice robs this honourable court of jurisdiction.

    “The applicant is not entitled to the reliefs sought and the suit should be dismissed with substantial cost for failure to comply with condition precedent,” the service said.