Leaders from the South East extraction of Nigeria have been urged to urgently intervene to stop the ongoing disconnection of the South East passport production centre located in Enugu.
According to reports, passport production in the South East, situated at the Enugu State Zonal Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has been halted following an alleged directive from the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
It was gathered that the region’s only passport production centre may be shut down later tonight, leaving applicants unable to access emergency passport services.
An official of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Enugu Branch, who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity, expressed sadness over the development. The source said a team of professionals allegedly sent from Abuja by the Minister of Interior arrived at the centre and have begun removing the passport production machines.
The source explained that with the removal of the machines, passports can no longer be issued or produced in the South East.
According to the source, emergency passport processing, after the disconnection, will now take place in Abuja. This implies that applicants from Abia, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, and Anambra states can no longer obtain passports on an emergency basis within the region.
The source further warned that applicants who urgently need their passports may be unable to get them if nothing is done within the next 10 hours, worsening the situation for travelers with immediate needs.
However, as of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the Nigeria Immigration Service or the Ministry of Interior on the matter.
