Unscrupulous Nigerians would find it difficult cloning new passport – Immigration boss

By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo, Lagos

Nigerians with duplicitous intentions will now find it extremely difficult to obtain the new 10 -year validity passport with the over 22 security features installed within the new document, says the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

Also, the service warned that applying for and acquiring a new passport under the guise that the first passport is missing and the applicant ends up possessing two genuine passports, such a passport holder will henceforth be committing an offence with the perpetrator being liable to 10 years imprisonment upon conviction.

Comptroller General of the Immigration, Muhammadu Babandede made this known Monday ahead of the roll out of the new passport at the Ikoyi passport office in Lagos.

He attributed the stringent measures adopted by the government was to discourage people who have criminal intentions abusing the Nigerian passport, stating that with linkages of the new passport to the National Identity Number (NIN) and the Bank Verification Number (BVN) it would be more stringent for criminally minded persons to collect the new passport.

Babandede allayed fears that since the process of applying for and collecting the standard passport is considered arduous by many Nigerians, the process to obtain the new 10-year passport is easy.

“There will be fears for people with criminal intention who want to access the passport. This new document will be linked with National Identity Number (NIN) and the Bank Verification Number (BVN). Nigerians are meant to harmonize their identity and not travel out and start seeking change of name or identity for any frivolous reason that comes to mind.

“The new passport harmonizes the true identity of all Nigerians and this will help our social development, economic development and above all, it will be difficult to change the data. Nigerians should be advised, we can’t change their banks account details so they should be ready,” he explained.

On the criminal tendency to by some Nigerians to acquire two passports for simultaneous use, the immigration boss condemned the act, but stated that “we have apprehended many of them even here in Lagos at the airport. They declare their passports missing and do a new one only to turn around and use the one they declared missing or lost.

“We apprehend them and they give all sorts of excuses, they do not know that once you declare it missing, we put the passport on alert and once it is used anywhere by anyone, that person is apprehended and must face the law.”

Earlier, the comptroller general had inaugurated eight projects executed by the immigration service in collaboration with its partners and stakeholders, including a SERVICOM centre donated by Heritage Bank, an 18-seater bus for the Ikoyi passport office donated by Fidelity Bank and a lookout building donated by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).

Others are a floor of office space donated by Zenith Bank within their premises to handle lost care and change of name, a waiting lounge for applicants donated by Access Bank, the renovated enrolment room donated by Still Earth Capital as well as a conference a centre donated by GTB.

“This relationship symbolizes that the private sector and government can work together. We need to learn from the private sector in terms of maintenance and they can learn from us. We are not in uniform to harass anyone, we are here to protect and deliver a service,” he added.

Spokesperson for the firms, the Head, Corporate Communication of Access Bank, Amaechi Okobi, said the banks would continue to support lofty innovations and would be there when called upon.

“We will continue to support customer service responsibility developments. We will not only rely on government and as private sector anytime you need us, you call on us, we are stationed here for you,” Okobi assured.