By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The Acting Comproller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs Wura-Ola Adepoju, says 112,351 passport booklets are yet to be collected by applicants across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

Adepoju, who said this during a press briefing at the Service headquarters on Thursday in Abuja, added that the figure was as at Oct. 5, 2023.

She said the service had cleared all the 204,332 passport application backlogs after the Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s two-week deadline to the Service.

“91,981 passport booklets had been collected so far. There are 112,351 others not yet collected,” she said.

The NIS boss called on applicants to go to their respective application centres to collect the travel document.

“I invite applicants who have applied for passports to come and pick them up without paying anything extra,” Adepoju said.

The Ag. CG observed that there was high demand for the travel document in the last few years as a result of the ‘Japa syndrome’ in Nigeria

She assured that the two-week timeline set by the Minister for the processing of passports would be adhered to.

“The Service and its partners had upgraded their facilities to meet the demand for the document by Nigerians.

“NIS is working with its partners to make the passport application process fully automated and when the process is completed, an applicant would only visit a passport office for biometric capturing,” she said.

Adepoju warned applicants to shun touts, urging them to contact the Service via 08067761196 if any personnel demand for bribe from them to get a passport.

“Any personnel caught demanding bribe would be severely punished; the minister has directed that we make scapegoat of any corrupt official caught,” she said. (NAN)

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