Mrs Milka Musa, the Controller of Passport Command, Lagos State, at a news conference on Friday held at the command in Lagos cautioned passport applicants against patronising touts when applying for their international passports.
Musa, also a controller of imigration (CIS), stressed that all those wishing to obtain international passports must follow due process instead of engaging in racketeering with dubious individuals.
She said that the Acting Comptroller -General of Immigration Service ( ACGIS) on behalf of the service, wished all passport seekers a very pleasant and seamless passport process in 2022.
She said that racketeers and touts were fond of extorting potential passport seekers by quoting individualistic prices and time to obtain the booklets.
Musa appealed to Nigerians to utilise the NIS website when applying for passports and to supply all the information required.
“ The NIS official website which is: ‘www.immigration.gov.ng,’ is always available to be explored, “ she said .
She explained that once the application is submitted to the service online , the applicant would be given a date by NIS for passport processing.
“The new appointment regime prescribes six weeks for fresh passports and three weeks for renewal and collection,” Musa said.
Musa said that the passport-appointment regime had also helped to regulate the crowd besieging passport offices dailyc since it kicked off.
‘The applicants that normally besiege the passport offices have been put under countrol ” she said.
She said that NIS would not spare any official who collude with touts to extort passport seekers .
Musa said that the passport command would offer the best of service to Nigerians this year.
“ However, Nigerians must stop patronising racketeers, its very wrong ,” she warned.(NAN)