Immigration Establishes Taskforce to Ensure Timely Passport Issuance

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has established taskforce to ensure timely issuance of international passports, warning that no excuse would be entertained for backlogs. 

The Comptroller General of NIS, Mrs Caroline Adepoju gave the directive during her end of month parade at the Immigration Headquarters, Abuja at the weekend.

A statement issued by the spokesperson of the service, Mr. Dotun Aridegbe after the parade quoted Adepoju saying continuous stay of passport control officers in all passport offices across the federation depends on their ability to issue passport as and when due. 

According to the comptroller general, backlogs have to be cleared with no excuses as the booklets are regularly issued to the passport offices. 

To ensure compliance of this directive, the Nigeria Immigration Service noted it had established a taskforce to monitor activities of the passport offices and give daily reports to the Comptroller General. 

Adepoju noted that the process of obtaining the Nigerian passport had made seamless for people who applied for it.

She gave the assurance that no stone would be left unturned in order to make it possible for Nigerians to get their passport with ease.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service has intercepted 61 illegal migrants, including 60 Cameroonians and one Burkinabe, from two locations in the Ibafo and Sagamu areas of the state.

The command, in an interview by the state Comptroller of the Immigration Service, Olufunmilayo Olayemisi, added that 51 others believed to be accomplices from Nigeria were also arrested.

Parading the suspects at the command’s office along the Presidential Boulevard in the state capital, Olayemisi said the suspects were without valid travel documents.

She stated that the illegal migrants remained threats to national security and would be repatriated back to their countries of origin after due consultations with their countries.

The state comptroller stated that the culprits remained threats to Nigeria’s national security and would be repatriated back to their countries of origin.