LAGOS JUNE 13TH (URHOBOTODAY)- Ikoyi Passport Office of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos, has renewed its onslaught against touts who give the organization a bad name.
The Ikoyi Passport Control Officer (PCO), Deputy Controller of Immigration, Kayode Eniolorunda, who made this disclosure today said he started his tenure with a vow to sanitize the unit.
Eniolorunda, who was reacting to recent allegations that the Ikoyi immigration officers were fond of extorting applicants, said corruption has no place under his watch.
While admitting that the issue of touts besieging passport offices and swindling people of their hard earned money is a big problem, he assured that the Ikoyi unit was on top of their game as the elite passport procurement unit.
He disclosed that the unit has arrested countless touts and have ensured that they are being prosecuted within the ambits of the law, with some still in the custody of the courts.
According to him, “Touting is a big problem that we have but we have been sensitizing applicants on the need to shun them and go to the right source. We placed such messages strategically around our offices and outside.
“Also, our officers have been trained to look out for them. We raid them all the time. Sometimes we go to the police to assist in the raiding and they do help out. Some of the touts we arrested are still in court awaiting adequate prosecution. The challenge is that immediately they are released, they will return back to touting again.
“But the good thing is that the constant raid is yielding result as they are now operatie outside Ikoyi Passport Office and not within our premises again. It baffles us that a literate person will drive down to the passport office and then patronize a tout instead of coming in to be attended to.”
He said upon assumption of office in September 2015, he had pledged to ensure that all applicants are attended to within four hours in the absence of any unforeseen circumstances arising from systems breakdown.