Several Nigerians have shared their experiences at different passport offices, following FIJ’s report on passport racketeering at the office of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.

FIJ reported on Friday that a researcher had not been able to renew his passport since July because he was unwilling to induce passport officers.

Reacting to the report, many Twitter users reaffirmed the researcher’s experience, some saying he might have to eventually bribe the corrupt officers.

“No lies there. A den of corruption,” @Letter_to_Jack, a Twitter user, said.

Another Twitter user, @breezy__ola, said he surprisingly got his passport four days after registration because he paid a bribe, though he was initially informed that the collection might take three months. 

He said, “No lies here. They told me my passport was going to take about three months initially, till I bribed them and my passport came out in 3 or 4 days”.

READ ALSO: At Abeokuta Immigration Office, ‘No One Gets a Passport Without Giving a Bribe’

“Mine has taken six months and nothing. I refuse to bribe anyone,” said @Cleopatran, a female handler.

IT HAPPENS ABROAD TOO

Some Nigerians in the diaspora have also experienced the same thing while trying to renew their expired passport, FIJ learned from the reactions.

@BurstBuster said, “This is about worldwide right now. All embassies in the diaspora do the same at the moment. Try to call your friends and family living abroad; they will tell you the same story just to get a passport renewal.”

Someone else said, “Nationwide I guess, even beyond… Our embassies abroad too”.

See other reactions below:

On January 6, FIJ reported that immigration officers at the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) office in Apata Yakuba, Ilorin, Kwara State, were corrupt and deliberately creating hurdles for citizens looking to acquire their passports.