The Nigeria Immigration Service’s special passport intervention exercise in the United Kingdom has descended into widespread chaos and confusion, with hundreds of applicants protesting against a disputed £70 administrative fee, enduring hours-long delays due to severe equipment shortages and witnessing police intervention at one of the London venues on the first day of operations.
The exercise, which commenced on September 7, 2026, across four cities including London, Manchester, Aberdeen and Cardiff, was intended to clear passport backlogs and expand access for Nigerians applying for new passports, renewals or resolution of pending applications.
However, within hours of launching, the operation was overwhelmed by overcrowding, technical failures and a bitter dispute over charges that has pitted applicants against both the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria High Commission. At the London locations, which included Layali Lounge, Trent Park and Bramley Road, applicants began arriving from the early hours of the morning, forming long queues that quickly spiralled into overcrowding.
Officials struggled to manage the throng and biometric capturing was delayed significantly because the Nigeria Immigration Service had deployed only one camera and one biometric capture machine for the entire London operation. The situation at the Manchester centre, located at Nigerian House on Platt Lane, was similarly strained with applicants reporting waits of several hours without clear communication from officials.
The most explosive issue, however, has been the imposition of a £70 administrative charge on applicants, a fee that the High Commission stated was intended to cover expenses incidental to the exercise, including overtime allowances, transportation and estacodes. The High Commission noted that this charge, along with a standard £20 administrative fee for passport renewal at the Mission, had been approved by the President. But the situation took a contentious turn when the Minister of Interior made a public announcement declaring that there were no charges for the intervention, a statement that has created unintended consequences and widespread confusion.
Applicants have seized on the Minister’s remarks and flatly refused to pay the £70 fee, with many insisting that passport services constitute a civic and public duty for which standard fees had already been paid. Even Nigerians who had applied for contactless renewal have now refused to pay any administrative charges, claiming that the Minister has effectively made the entire process free. The refusal to pay has been accompanied by unsubstantiated allegations of extortion against both the Nigeria Immigration Service and the High Commission, allegations that have spread rapidly across social media and damaged the reputation of both institutions.
The High Commission has since clarified that the Minister’s statement does not affect the payment of administrative fees, but the damage has already been done, with applicants maintaining that such a fee should not be imposed at all. This controversy over fees is not new, as the previous intervention exercise held in December 2025 encountered similar challenges, with the Mission charging £40 at that time, a figure that has now risen to £70. In 2025, the exercise was supported by the Nigerian community across the UK, which provided venues and other logistics, lessening the financial burden on the Mission.
However, that arrangement backfired when Nigerians alleged affiliation to Christianity, as the venues were mostly used for church activities, leading to a scandal. For the current 2026 exercise, the Nigerian community refused to provide venue support and the Mission was forced to shoulder the full financial responsibility, including accommodation and upkeep of three Immigration officers who had arrived in London three weeks earlier as an advance party. The coordination of the exercise has also been severely compromised by a breakdown in communication between the Nigeria Immigration Service and the High Commission. According to an internal memo from the High Commission, the NIS announced the special intervention without harmonizing key aspects such as cost implications and attendance modalities with the Mission and the announcement was made without recourse to the Nigeria High Commission in the UK. When the High Commission finally published its own information, which included a Google form for date and time scheduling, the notice did not reach all intended applicants in time, resulting in many arriving at venues without having booked appointments or completed online registration.
The Ministry of Interior’s unilateral and short notices further compounded the confusion, as the Mission was not given adequate opportunity to make preparations, unlike the previous exercise. The situation reached a breaking point when UK police were called to the Layali Lounge venue in London, where the Lebanese owner of the facility reportedly claimed he had not been paid and ordered Nigerians to leave the premises. This disruption added to the chaos and frustration of applicants who had been waiting for hours in overcrowded conditions. By the afternoon of September 7, the exercise was relocated to the Mission’s own property on Fleet Street, where operations have gradually begun to pick up pace and no significant challenges have been reported at the Manchester centre.
The High Commission has acknowledged the difficulties and in its memo dated September 8, 2026, made three formal prayers to the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first prayer is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs impress on the Minister of Interior to desist from making sweeping announcements without recourse to the Ministry and the Mission for verifiable evidence.
The second prayer is that the Minister of Interior publicly clarify to the general public that his statement does not affect the payment of usual administrative fees approved by the President and the third prayer is that the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be reminded that even Honourary Consuls are entitled to charge service fees, in order to provide the required courage to withstand the social media onslaught on the High Commission and the Ministry.
The High Commission has stated that it will continue to monitor the situation and report any significant incidences. As of now, the exercise continues at the Fleet Street premises, but the damage to public trust is evident, with applicants remaining frustrated, officials scrambling to manage the fallout and the government under mounting pressure to resolve the confusion caused by contradictory statements from Abuja.
With a backlog of thousands of applications and public sentiment turning increasingly hostile, the road ahead appears uncertain and officials have not yet commented on whether further adjustments to the intervention program will be made.
READ ALSO:
- Nigeria High Commission Clarifies Interior Minister’s Remarks as UK Passport Exercise Records Mixed Outcomes
- Apple Unveils iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable iPhone
- Hunye Accuses APC of Imposing Candidate, Says Suspension Was Not Properly Communicated
- Dauda Lawal’s Infrastructure Agenda for Zamfara State | By Karen Ibrahim
- Kara Bridge Repairs Cause Heavy Traffic
