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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Three million passports were issued to Nigerians between 2019 to 2022, Minister of Interior Affairs, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, announced yesterday.
Speaking at the official launch of the Enhanced e-Passport in Benin, Asaba and Warri passport offices and the commissioning of the passport production centre at the Benin passport office, Edo State command, he warned officers and men of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) against extortions and hoarding of the passports to create an undue scarcity in the system.
“It will interest you to know that between 2019 and now, as difficult as that era, the NIS has issued over three million passports to Nigerians. It is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.
“Last year alone, 1.3 million passports were issued. Also, last time I checked, over 250,000 passports remained uncollected by applicants,” he said.
He assured that the exploitation of Nigerians seeking to get their passports will no longer be tolerated by him as erring officers will be seriously dealt with.
“Whoever disregard any Nigerian, whoever exploit any Nigerian in their quest to get this document will be dealt with personally by me. This is the last time I am going to warn,” he said.
Aregbesola explained that setting up the office in Benin is due to the high demands of the passports in Edo and Delta states, maintaining that Edo ranks next to Lagos State in terms of the demands.
He urged Nigerians seeking for passports to avoid shortcuts and always apply on time to avoid falling into wrong hands.
On his part, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, thanked the Federal Government for setting up the office in the state, adding that it will ease the act of getting passports in the state.
He promised to help complete one of the immigration offices in Auchi within the year.
