According to the source, the decision to accommodate significantly more applicants than the agreed daily capacity created congestion and contributed to the difficulties being experienced by applicants at the intervention centres.
An official at the Nigeria High Commission in the United Kingdom has accused the mission of allegedly exploiting Nigerians seeking to obtain or renew their passports by imposing a £70 charge on applicants and allegedly selling appointment slots beyond the daily capacity agreed for the ongoing special passport intervention exercise.
The official, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, stated that the arrangement had resulted in Nigerians being made to pay additional sums for passport services, describing the practice as “extortion and nothing more.”
The allegations come amid growing complaints by Nigerians in the United Kingdom over delays, appointment difficulties and charges associated with the special passport intervention exercise being conducted by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in collaboration with the Nigeria High Commission.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu approved the posting of Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu to the United Kingdom in March 2026, and the British Government subsequently granted him agrément. Dalhatu later formally assumed office as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK.
