Nigerians, both at home and overseas are paying the price of leadership without morality and empathy. While Nigerians at home continue to bemoan untamed perennial corruption by public office holders, those living overseas are not left out from official exploitation by those saddled with the responsibility of protecting and aiding their fellow countrymen in distant shores. LeadingReporters investigation revealed that Nigeria High Commissions overseas compel Nigerians who are desirous of having their international passports renewed to part with as much as N250,000 to secure a not-too-distant date for data capturing.
LeadingReporters, following complaints by some Nigerians living in diaspora, launched an investigation into series of allegations of exploitation by staff and officers in Nigeria high commission, especially the passport departments. This online media platform uncovered a well-planned-out strategy with which these staff of embassies, especially the diplomatic attaches from Nigeria immigration service hoodwink their fellow countrymen overseas into parting with their hard earned money.
How do they perpetrate this illegality? Those in charge of capturing the applicants’ data intentionally lock appointment date for as long as six months, claiming that all the dates have been booked. After paying all necessary official fee for passport renewal, applicants are given a website to book for appointment for data capturing. The website, upon opening displayed dates that have been booked and locked. This means that the applicants may have to wait for up to six months to be attended to.
For instance, a visit to the passport renewal site of Nigeria Embassy in Abu Dhabi leaves a message that the mission would only attend to passport application on appointment basis ONLY for Tuesdays and Thursdays. In the site, applicants are asked to select a month then choose a spot for their passports renewal. A click on the month and date of an applicant choice would reveal that such date has been booked and locked.
LeadingReporters made an attempt to book a mock-appointment via the Embassy’s sign up site https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/6787879060110/true#/invitation. The site showed that all other months and days have been booked up to September 7th, 2022.
We targeted some countries with high level of complaints by applicants. Countries like United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and other European and African countries. LeadingReporters Dubai correspondent who was detailed to act as an applicant. She visited the office and was told that with a whopping $500, she could get an earlier appointment within the next week .
When she asked the officer how he hoped to do fast track it for her since other applicants have booked up till September 7. She was told that all she needed to do was to pay the bribe and she would have her capturing done within 7 days. It was at that point that she was told by the officer who already has developed an emotional feeling for our correspondent that they (the staff in charge of data capturing) intentionally locked those dates and sell them eventually to applications who are willing and able to pay their way through.
The officer told our correspondent during a lunch date that they could charge as much as $700 and $1000 depending on the level of urgency. “Money makes things happen”. He told our correspondent.
