A whistleblower at the Nigeria High Commission in London has accused the mission of exploiting Nigerians seeking passport services, alleging a £70 “backend” charge and the illegal sale of appointment slots beyond the agreed daily capacity. The source claimed the money “goes directly into the ambassador’s pocket.”
A Whistleblower Speaks Out
A whistleblower at the Nigeria High Commission in the United Kingdom has accused the mission of exploiting Nigerians seeking to obtain or renew their passports, alleging a £70 “backend” charge and the illegal sale of appointment slots beyond the agreed daily capacity.
The official, who spoke to Sahara Reporters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, stated that the arrangement had resulted in Nigerians being made to pay additional sums for passport services, describing the practice as “extortion and nothing more”.
How the Scheme Allegedly Operated
The source explained that the original arrangement was for the immigration authorities to process a maximum of 90 applicants per day, but claimed that the High Commission subsequently began issuing or selling appointments beyond that capacity.
“90 people were supposed to come in per day, but they started selling appointment slots. And almost 300 people coming in. It’s extortion and nothing more,” the source said .
The decision to accommodate significantly more applicants than the agreed daily capacity created congestion and contributed to the difficulties being experienced by applicants at the intervention centres.
The £70 Charge
The most serious allegation concerns the £70 charge attached to the intervention exercise.
The source stated that the charge had no legitimate basis and claimed that the money ultimately went into the pocket of the High Commissioner.
“That seventy pounds, go to the ambassador’s pocket, that is where it goes directly,” the official claimed .
The source insisted that applicants were not disputing the statutory passport fees but were questioning the additional £70 charge.
Extra Charges for Lost Passports
The High Commission was also accused of imposing an admin fee of £150 for lost passports, on top of the official NIS fees of $150 and $230 for five-year and ten-year validity passports respectively.
Minister Denies Extra Charges
Following protests by Nigerians, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, said he was concerned about the inconvenience regarding the passport intervention exercise.
In a statement, Tunji-Ojo denied the requirement of administrative fees as allegedly demanded by officials and said consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Minister, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, clarified that applicants are not required to pay any charges beyond the officially approved passport fees of $150 for five-year validity and $230 for ten-year validity.
Suspension and Relocation
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On Tuesday, the High Commission notified citizens that the passport intervention biometric capturing exercise had been suspended in London.
Applicants were directed to alternative centres to continue with their appointments .The Nigeria Immigration Service later said it had resolved the “brief technical downtime” that caused hitches in the intervention exercise.
The service said 230 applicants, including 140 in Manchester and 90 in London, who booked appointments were processed and had their biometrics captured .
A Lesson for Nigeria
The UK passport scandal is a stark reminder of how bureaucratic inefficiency is weaponised against citizens.
For many Nigerians in the diaspora, a simple passport renewal has become a harrowing ordeal of arbitrary fees, exploited appointment slots and a system that preys on desperation.
The same officials who authorise these extra charges would never allow their own families to be subjected to such exploitation.
They would ensure their children’s documents are processed smoothly, without the fear of hidden fees or the frustration of endless queues.
For Nigeria, the lesson is clear: the people are not cash cows. Administrative convenience should never be turned into a revenue stream.
Every £70 extracted unlawfully is not just a theft of money, it is a theft of the citizen’s trust in the nation they call home.
Demand accountability. Stop the extortion. And never forget that service, not exploitation, is the purpose of government
