NIS Enrols 5,099 Applicants In UK Special Passport Intervention

More than 5,000 Nigerians in the United Kingdom have now been enrolled in the special passport intervention exercise launched by the Nigeria Immigration Service to clear application backlogs, as enrolment reached 5,099 applicants after the latest weekend of operations in London and Manchester.

In a Day 12 update posted on Sunday, the service said 516 applicants were enrolled on Saturday, 19 September, comprising 370 in Manchester and 146 in London. “The Special Passport Intervention Exercise continued yesterday across the London and Manchester Centers uninterrupted, with a total of 516 applicants enrolled, 370 in Manchester and 146 in London,” the service said. “This brings the total enrollment since the commencement of the exercise to 5,099 applicants.”

The service confirmed that passport production and dispatch for previously enrolled applicants were proceeding smoothly. “The exercise remains ongoing, and applicants are enjoined to continue cooperating with officials,” it added.

The running total has climbed steadily since the exercise opened on 7 September under the directive of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to clear backlogs of new applications, renewals and pending cases for Nigerians in the UK. The service reported 2,296 enrolments in its first week and 4,112 by Day 10, when 471 applicants registered on Thursday, 17 September, including 343 in Manchester and 128 in London, before the latest weekend pushed the count past the 5,000 mark.

High demand led to operations being extended in both cities beyond the original mid-September end date, with the service announcing on 11 September that the exercise would run until 3 October here.

The exercise followed a separate step in which the Nigeria High Commission refunded £50 to affected UK passport intervention applicants here.

Eligible applicants are required to book appointments through official channels and present the necessary documentation at the designated centres. The 5,099 figure counts enrolments rather than completed passport deliveries, with production and dispatch for earlier applicants still under way.

Sources: Punch, TVC News, Nigeria Immigration Service