The government said 10 special passport centres would be opened in the coming weeks to fast-track booklets processing, noting that the goal was to have one in each local government, university campuses, institutions of higher learning and other places.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who disclosed this in Abuja, after a meeting with the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede, and passport control officers, said undercover operatives wearing body cameras would also be deployed in all passport offices to detect and report any form of solicitations, inflation, improper communications, extortion, diversion, hoarding and other corrupt practices.

He insisted that no applicant would be made to pay any illegitimate fee.

The minister stated, “We are going to embed security operatives – seen and unseen – in all our passport offices. They will wear body cameras. They will detect and report any form of solicitations, inflation, improper communications, extortion, diversion, hoarding and other corrupt practices. Those caught will be dealt with according to the law. An ombudsman will also be created for members of the public to receive complaints and reports on officers trying to deviate from prescribed guidelines and subversion of the process.”

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede, who disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, October 10, also said he once disguised as a cleaner in order to catch corrupt officials.

He said “It’s about four years now that we stopped the corrupt practice in the service via bribes to influence posting as it was done previously in the country. Under the board of Ministry of Interior, we have dismissed 60 personnel caught for bribery and corruption in the airports and borders. There are corrupt officials even within the senior cadre. However, it’s our responsibilities as leaders to stop the practice especially of giving bribes to officers to influence posting to airports and borders. We have also discouraged the culture of those working in ‘choice areas’ giving out ‘returns’ to their superiors. Anyone caught should have himself blame. The Immigration Service is committed to fighting corruption. I disguised as a cleaner in the airport and border and caught an official receiving bribe. We cannot do it alone especially now that the border and the airports are being secure by other sister security agencies. When reporting a corruption incident, the complainants have to provide evidence before the Immigration Service beyond doubt for further action otherwise any action taken against the accused person would be voided later,”