The Nigeria Immigration Service has dismissed claims circulating online that passport issuance has been suspended or denied to applicants from the South-East.
In a statement signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, the agency clarified that the reported challenges are linked to an ongoing nationwide reform of passport operations, not discrimination against any region.
Akinlabi explained that the Service is implementing a phased migration process to transition passport offices, including those in foreign missions, into a centralised passport production system.
He said the reform programme, which commenced in 2024, is aimed at strengthening efficiency, transparency, and security in passport processing, stressing that no group or region has been excluded.
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According to him, passport offices in the five South-East states, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, along with five overseas centres in Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland and Austria, are currently being migrated under the first-quarter 2026 schedule.
The Immigration Service urged members of the public to disregard misleading reports capable of causing unnecessary anxiety, while reaffirming its commitment to reforms that serve the collective interest of Nigerians.
(Editor:Ada Ononye)
