A Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport intervention exercise in the United Kingdom descended into confusion after the Lebanese owner of a contracted venue in Manchester reportedly refused entry to hundreds of Nigerian applicants.
The incident, which occurred at the start of the special intervention exercise scheduled for September 2026, left applicants stranded for hours, prompting UK police intervention and widespread outrage on social media.
Contract dispute, security concerns
According to eyewitness accounts and posts shared by affected applicants on X, the venue owner barred entry to the facility after claiming that the Nigeria High Commission and NIS officials had failed to pay for the use of the premises.
Applicants who had traveled long distances and taken time off work reported that the venue owner turned away arriving applicants, citing non-payment by organizers, a total lack of facility security, and inadequate staffing.
Before the shutdown, processing had ground to a near halt, with applicants reporting that as few as three people were attended to per hour.
UK police were dispatched to manage crowd control and de-escalate tensions outside the private lounge where the exercise was hosted.
Following the disruption, community stakeholders advised applicants that alternative arrangements and relocation to a new venue were being organized to resume processing.
Allegations of £70 extra fees and government response
Adding to the frustration, several applicants reported being asked to pay an additional £70 surcharge beyond official passport fees to complete their processing during the intervention.
In response to the growing public outcry, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, issued a clarification.
He denied the introduction of any new or unofficial fees, confirming that the standard passport fees—$150 for a 5-year validity and $230 for a 10-year validity—remain the only authorised charges.
The Ministry of Interior stated that it is liaising with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve venue contract disputes, security arrangements, and operational bottlenecks at exercise centres in both Manchester and London.
The special passport intervention was initially organised to clear a massive backlog of pending passport renewals and new applications for Nigerians residing across the UK.
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