The Nigerian Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, has urged Lagosians to apply for their passports early in order to reduce delay in passport issuance.
Deputy Controller Immigration, Joshua Ajisafe, gave the advice while addressing some applicants at the Passport Office, Alausa on Wednesday.
He said the inauguration of the new office was a sign that the service had the interest of Nigerians at heart. He said other measures had also been put in place to reduce delay in passport processing.
He said, “The NIS has been looking inward to fast track the issuance of passports beyond the usual three to seven days. We will be working hard to ensure that applicants can get their passports within 24hours or even less.
“Competent members of staff have been put in difficult sections, such as the vetting section, which might slow down the process.
“We are working hard and we expect applicants to however apply early and maintain orderliness for this to be possible.”
Ajisafe said issues of fraud and extortion by officers could be reported to the complaint desk. He said his office would be open to applicants with such reports.
He said, “When issues of extortion arise, applicants should feel free to report such cases to the complaint desk. If not satisfied, my office is wide open. We do not want any form of corruption.”
He said the passport office had handled some cases of identity fraud, adding that the suspects had been transferred to the Lagos State Police Command for more investigation.
He warned applicants to be truthful with their data.