Some Nigerians in the United States and Ireland have lambasted officials of Nigerian embassies and consulates over alleged extortion and maltreatment in the process of obtaning new passports.
In a viral footage shared in June, an official of the Consulate General of Nigeria in Atlanta, United States, was seen in a heated verbal exchange with passport applicants.
Houston-based soccer trainer, Bayonle Arashi, who recorded the brawl at the consulate explained what led to the clash.
He said, “Normally, we get an appointment before going to the embassy but walking into the Nigerian Embassy in Atlanta, you must pay another $110 or more to be attended to.
“I’m just one of those people who went to Atlanta that day. I travelled on the 10th of June, which was a Thursday. So, on Friday morning, at eight, we were already in front of the embassy but there were no officials.
“We later discovered that they only capture the details of applicants on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. We complained to the security official on duty, querying why the embassy failed to put such vital information on its website.’’
According to Arashi, a couple who were trying to make some inquiries from the security guards on duty were harassed by an embassy official identified as Pius Uhomoibhi, an Administrative Assistant at the consulate.
