The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has begun a capacity building training for its Passport Control Officers (PCOs), announcing its commitment to prosecute foreigners arrested while attempting to obtain Nigerian passports.
The NIS Comptroller-General, Mrs Kemi Nandap, said this at the opening of the three-day workshop on Wednesday in Abuja.
Nandap said that the workshop, themed “Strengthening Identity Management through Innovations in Passport Administration”, was designed for PCOs from across the country.
She said that the service was taking steps to immediately prosecute some arrested individuals by extant laws, vowing that the era of impunity was over.
She said the participants will learn about ICT integration, customer satisfaction, and document vetting.
“This is an essential skill for their role as gatekeepers of national identity, ” Nandap said.
The NIS boss issued a stern warning against malpractices and other forms of illegal acts and misconducts by personnel.
“I want you to know that this workshop is not a joke, because rising from this three-day workshop, any officer, any person who is caught, whether in your service, whether in your station or your post, will be dealt with.
“This is because you will be responsible for everyone under your command. I mean every one of your officers, you are there to supervise them.
“We will hold everyone accountable. You must know what is happening in your area, in your post,” Nandap said.
She urged the participants to be proactive and thorough in their duties, emphasising that the Nigerian passport is a symbol of trust and that anyone being issued the passport must be a Nigerian.
“Anyone who holds that passport, you are saying that you have certified that person as a bona fide, true Nigerian. That is what it means.
“So before you issue anybody that passport, make sure that, yes, you are satisfied that this person is a bona fide Nigerian.
“That is what our Act says and that is what you must all do because we are getting too many incessant issues of non-Nigerians acquiring our passports,” she said.
The NIS CG, however, commended the PCOs for their vigilance and swift reporting protocol across all passport offices in the country.
“Please increase your vigilance because I know a lot of your Commands, a lot of Passport Officers have reported these cases and of course, our Legal team is working on it.
“We will make sure that we prosecute them. They will not go free. Not anymore. It is not acceptable”, she said.
She also warned against extortion and other forms of corruption, promising severe sanctions for offenders and rewards for excellence.
Nandap urged officers to work quickly and meet deadlines, stressing that all proper security checks must be completed before issuing a passport.
According to her, the passport was a symbol of the nation and must be issued with absolute integrity.
Nandap emphasised the importance of immigration officers understanding how to assess an individual’s nationality.
She named factors such as speech patterns, appearance, and other criteria could be used to help determine if someone was not a Nigerian saying that it was essential for officers to be aware of those factors.
