Moment Interior Minister storms Passport Office unannounced, catches Immigration officials off guard

A video of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, storming the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) passport office unannounced in Gwagwalada, Abuja, has gone viral, showing the minister confronting officials over long delays in passport processing.

Surprise Visit to Gwagwalada Passport Office

Tunji-Ojo arrived without prior notice and inspected the VIP and Children section of the office.

He engaged both officials and applicants, asking why many people were still waiting hours after the office was scheduled to open.

Minister Warns Against Extra Payments

During the visit, the minister was seen warning applicants against paying money outside official fees, stressing that Nigerians had already paid in full for passport services.

“I don’t want to hear that you are collecting money for diesel or paper. Nigerians have paid for their passports completely. Serve them diligently,” he said.

Displeasure Over Slow Service

Tunji-Ojo expressed frustration that only a few applicants had been attended to hours after opening, despite the section being designed for expedited service.

“So it means that by 9:30am, I expect to see at least one or two applicants here. I can see some people waiting downstairs, and our responsibility is to be efficient,” he said.

Questions on Enrolment and Biometric Capture

The minister questioned officials about the slow pace of enrolment and biometric capturing, noting that each applicant should be processed within minutes.

“How long does it take to do an enrolment? Three minutes. So three times seven, that is twenty-one minutes,” he said.

Officials explained that although the office was expected to open by 8am, operations started later after the generator was switched on around 9am.

“We are supposed to open by eight,” one official said.

Minister Faults Work Process

Tunji-Ojo criticised the practice of completing enrolment for all applicants before starting biometric capturing, insisting both should run simultaneously to reduce waiting time.

“It doesn’t make sense. People are there waiting. Some of them still need to go to work or have other things to do. So why must you wait until you enrol everybody before you do capturing?” he asked.

“Time Is Money,” Minister Says

Describing the delays as unacceptable, Tunji-Ojo said they defeated the purpose of public service.

“You are wasting people’s precious time. Time is money. Time is expensive. It is unacceptable,” he said.

Under-Use of VIP and Children Section

The minister also criticised the poor use of the VIP and Children section, noting that applicants in crowded areas could have been redirected there.

“It will not cost you anything if you use this place for them,” he stated. “Nigeria has no VIP. When you wear this uniform, you wear a uniform of sacrifice. You are here to work for the people.

See below;

VIDEO: INTERIOR MINISTER PAID UNSCHEDULED VISIT TO NIS PASSPORT OFFICE IN GWAWGALADA-FCT pic.twitter.com/ogK1T0axHt

— UNCLE DEJI™️ (@DejiAdesogan) January 20, 2026