The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied the report making the rounds that its embassy in France is involved in passport racketeering.

In a Press Statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye said there was no iota of truth in the report.

“For the record that the Embassy of Nigeria in France is not engaged in such activities.

“The fees for passport applications, which is the equivalent of 106 USD, are the same at Nigerian Missions worldwide. The information on the current charges and official procedure for services at the Embassy are well publicised.”

In line with the current regulations in the Embassy, Nwonye said Nigerians are expected to book their appointments through this medium and only those with confirmed appointments are attended to.

He further warned Nigerians to avoid dealing with anyone outside the Embassy or engage in any unofficial procedure when applying for a passport or any other consular services as “the Embassy has not engaged any agent or third party individuals to liaise with Nigerians when seeking appointments for its services and no one is expected to pay any hidden charges for services rendered at the Embassy.”

He also said, “it is pertinent to state that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 measures and the surge in the number of applicants who book for appointments, the Embassy currently has online passport applications bookings until the end of March 2021, which are being treated expeditiously.”

He, therefore, gave the assurance that the Nigerian Embassy in France will continue to efficiently render its services with professionalism and in line with COVID-19 health regulations.