‘Nigerians in diaspora are suffering over passports’

Some Nigerians in the United Kingdom have gathered outside the Nigerian Embassy in London, United Kingdom, to protest against the challenges they encounter processing their passports.

In a video seen by Saturday PUNCH on Friday, the immigrants carried placards with different inscriptions to register their displeasure.

Some of the placards read, “Two weeks turn to six months”, “Bashiru Aminu must go”, “Nigerians in Diaspora are suffering”, “Say no to £380 extra,” “Ojo & Aminu must go,” among others.

The protesters insisted that President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, must resolve the challenges.

One of the protesters said the period of processing the passport took six months instead of the two weeks promised by the minister.

The woman said the charges to process passport applications were expensive.”

“And even if you check how much they are charging, it’s very expensive. We want to put an end to it. The suffering is too much. People are working hard day and night in this country to earn their living but not leading anywhere,” she said.

Reacting to the protest via a post on his verified X page, Tunji-Ojo said a probe had been initiated to find the cause and promised to take active steps to address it.

He said, “I have ordered an immediate investigation into the matters arising, and I assure you that corresponding actions will be taken soonest.

“We appreciate the patience and understanding of all the affected citizens as we strive towards an efficient service delivery in line with global best practices.”

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