Friday, February 20, 2026 l Dalena Reporters
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is facing renewed public scrutiny following allegations that its recently announced passport processing reforms — promising delivery within two to three days — are being undermined by bribery demands at some state offices, particularly in Edo State.
Earlier this year, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, publicly declared that Nigerians applying for international passports would receive their documents within 48 to 72 hours, as part of a broader digital reform and anti-corruption drive aimed at restoring confidence in the immigration system. The announcement was widely welcomed by citizens who have long endured months-long delays, extortion claims, and administrative bottlenecks.
However, troubling accounts emerging from the Edo State Immigration Office suggest a stark contrast between policy pronouncements in Abuja and operational realities on the ground.
According to Mr. Osia, a Nigerian applicant who recently processed his passport at the Edo office, immigration officers allegedly demanded a bribe before fast-tracking his passport issuance. He claims he was presented with two options: “pay and get it quickly” or “wait without knowing when it will be ready.”
Mr. Osia declined to pay the alleged bribe.
More than three weeks later, he says he is still waiting for his passport — far beyond the minister’s promised 2–3-day timeline. His experience, he alleges, reflects a systemic issue where official reforms are quietly bypassed by officers seeking illicit payments from desperate applicants.
The allegations echo longstanding complaints about passport racketeering across Nigeria, where citizens have repeatedly reported unofficial fees being demanded under various pretexts — including “express processing,” “system delay resolution,” or “special handling.”
If substantiated, such practices would directly contradict the Interior Ministry’s reform agenda, which aimed to eliminate middlemen, reduce human interference, and digitize application tracking to curb corruption. The NIS leadership has previously assured Nigerians that new systems would ensure transparency and accountability.
Civil society observers argue that without strict enforcement, monitoring mechanisms, and disciplinary action against erring officers, reform announcements risk becoming symbolic gestures rather than structural change. They warn that bribery in essential government services erodes public trust, penalizes law-abiding citizens, and disproportionately affects those unable or unwilling to pay illegal fees.
As of press time, there has been no official response from the Edo State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service regarding Mr. Osia’s claims. The case raises urgent questions:
- Are the 48–72 hour passport delivery claims being implemented nationwide?
- What oversight mechanisms exist to ensure compliance at state offices?
- What consequences face officers found demanding bribes?
For Nigerians, an international passport is not merely a travel document — it is access to education, employment, medical care, and global mobility. When access becomes contingent on unofficial payments, the promise of reform collapses into frustration.
Until clear action is taken, stories like Mr. Osia’s risk reinforcing a familiar narrative: policy upgrades announced at the top, but everyday realities unchanged at the bottom.