The Nigeria Immigration service NIS, has expressed disappointment with the operatives of the National identity Management Commission NIMC as they allegedly engage in extortion of applicants who seek to enrol for National identity number NIN at the ikoyi passport office
Assistant comptroller general ACG Zone A, Doris Braimah who made this known shortly after her first quarterly meeting with comptrollers in the zone, lamented that the NIS was not happy with reports of extortion of applicants by NIMC officials who are in the ikoyi passport office premises thereby giving bad name to the Immigration service
Braimah noted that a meeting was held with officials of NIMC and NIS on ways to address the problem
She explained that the role of the NIS is different from that of NIMC. “What I need the public to understand is that there is difference between the NIS and NIMC, NIMC is responsible for the issuance of National identity number NIN, while Nigeria Immigration service NIS is responsible for the issuance of passport.
She further explained that “NIMC issues the NIN which is required by the Immigration service for the process to be complete for the issuance of passport to prospective applicants, so we need to work together.”
Braimah added that report about the conduct of NIMC officials at the Ikoyi passport office and some of her passport officers is what prompted the meeting she had to let people no they are there to serve prospective applicants
“What I told them is that they can direct other applicants to their main office outside passport office if they have no business with NIS, and this is because we need to reduce the crowd in the passport office ”
Comptroller lagos command of the NIS Bauchi Aliyu who spoke on the reopening of borders said the service is fully prepared to deal with the influx of people into the country adding that the comptroller general of Immigration Mohammed Babandede had supported with the provision of adequate protective kits .
He said “Opening of selected border, here in Lagos we have only seme border that has been fully opened and traffic is already going in and out. You are aware that for now we have put all measures to ensure that the public is safe and our officers are also safe”
ACG Braimah Braimah stressed that the comptroller general of Immigration had directed that all state comptrollers to embark on regular sensitisation of their officials on the rising coronavirus pandemic
