FG knocks Wakanow, says travel firms not authorised to procure passports

 

The Federal Government on Wednesday knocked travel company, Wakanow, for allegedly procuring Passports for applicants at “outrageous amounts”.

 

The Nigeria Immigration Service in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Sunday James, said no travel agency was authorised by the government to “charge or procure” Passports for travellers.

 

The Service accused Wakanow of charging applicants N57,000 for a 64-Page Five-Year validity Passport which costs N35,000. The Service also alleged that the travel company charged applicants N95,000 for a 64-Page Ten-Year validity Passport which costs N70,000.

The NIS, therefore, advised Passport applicants to apply through its website and not through third parties “who are out there to defraud them of their hard-earned money”.

The statement read, “The attention of the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede MFR has been drawn to a certain publication on the Instagram page of one online platform known as Wakanowdotcom offering possible assistance to prospective Passport applicants to procure various categories of Passports for them at given sums of money.

 

“The publication stated that the organisation can procure the following categories of Passports for prospective applicants at the sums indicated;

 

“(A) 64-Page Five Years validity Passport at the sum of N57,000:00

 

“(B) 64-Page Ten Years validity Passport at the sum of N95,000:00

“We wish to state categorically that Wakanowdotcom has no authorization whatsoever from us to charge and procure Passports for any applicant at such frivolous sums and that none of our Passports cost as much as the outrageous amounts stated in the said publication.

 

“The Comptroller General therefore, wishes to use this medium to advise prospective Passport applicants to kindly visit immigration.gov.ng to apply and pay online for the various categories of Passports of their choice and avoid patronising people/touts and or organisations who are out there to defraud them of their hard-earned money on the guise of procuring Passports for them.”