NIS Speaks on Protest at UK Passport Centre, says Exercise Resumed after ‘Brief Technical Downtime’

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has blamed a “brief technical downtime” for lapses in the federal government’s passport intervention in the United Kingdom (UK).

Videos shared by social media users on Monday showed a crowd gathered outside a locked door believed to be the Nigerian passport intervention centre in Manchester as they waited to gain entry.

Captions accompanying the footage claimed that the applicants had endured hours of waiting without being attended to.

In another video purportedly filmed at the passport intervention centre, a man was seen directing a separate crowd of Nigerians to vacate the premises. Social media posts identified the man as the owner of the lounge reportedly hired to host the passport intervention in London.

The man was said to have expressed frustration over what he described as the “incompetence” of Nigerian authorities, alleging that he had not been paid for the use of the venue.

Nigerian immigration officials were also accused of demanding £70 from citizens in passport intervention “administrative fees”.

After the protest, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, said he was concerned about the inconvenience experienced by Nigerians in the UK regarding the passport intervention exercise.

The minister said consultations are ongoing with the ministry of foreign affairs to ensure that inconveniences do not persist any longer.

In a statement early Tuesday, the NIS said services resumed after the hitches were addressed.

“Following a brief technical downtime earlier yesterday morning that temporarily disrupted biometric capturing, especially at Manchester center, and its prompt resolution, the exercise proceeded smoothly,” the statement reads.

NIS added that 230 applicants, including 140 in Manchester and 90 in London, who booked appointments were processed and had their biometrics captured.