Travel News
Passport Fees: Nigerian Mission In South Africa Denies Extortion -
by Abdullateef Aliyu
The Nigerian Consulate in South Africa has reacted to allegations of arbitrary fees charged for replacement of lost passports by Nigerians living in the country.
Nigeria’s Consul General in Johannesburg, South Africa, Hon Malik Abdul, stated that he had “been blackmailed as wicked” and tagged “an extortionist by elements within the community.”
Daily Trust reports that there was a protest recently by some Nigerians living in Johannesburg querying the fees charged for loss of passport.
They also demanded the removal of R10,000 (N300,000) demanded by the agents as deposit fee, and another R120, which translates to N3,600, imposed on Nigerian citizens for lost passport processing and passport capturing respectively.
However, the consul general, in a speech delivered to chronicle his activities from November, 2020, when he assumed duty, said, “It must be emphasised that the administration fees and the lost passport fees are paid to the government’s designated account and not to any individual account.
“As head of mission, I have a responsibility not to succumb to the blackmail and intimidation tactics of a few disgruntled elements among our community.”