By joshua 
Benin Passport Centre Not Scrapped, No Extortion — Investigation
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
Claims that the Benin City passport production centre of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has been scrapped have been dismissed as false, with sources confirming that operations remain intact at the command headquarters in Benin City.
Sources who spoke following an independent visit by a team of journalists to the Edo State Command of NIS said that the facility is fully operational and continues to process international passports without disruption. They also refuted allegations of extortion of applicants, noting that no such practices were observed during the assessment.
According to the sources, passport processing in the command is being carried out in a transparent, orderly and professional manner, in strict compliance with established procedures and extant regulations of the Service.
The sources described the report alleging the scrapping of the centre and extortion of applicants as misleading and baseless, insisting that it does not reflect the true situation within the Edo State Command.
They added that the publication appeared to be a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and discredit officers of the Service in the state.
On the claim that the passport production centre had been scrapped, the sources maintained that the facility remains functional and that no applicant has been left stranded, contrary to the allegations contained in the report.
They, however, acknowledged ongoing reforms by the Federal Government, including the establishment of a centralised international passport production system in Abuja.
While some states have been migrated to the new system, Edo State is yet to be integrated, with the process still underway.
The sources urged members of the public to disregard the publication, stressing that it was unfounded and aimed at blackmailing and undermining the credibility of the Service.
They also faulted the author of the report for failing to verify the claims with the command authorities, describing the publication as a breach of journalistic ethics and an example of yellow journalism.