A Nigerian missionary assigned to work in Kenya, Revd. Br. Moses Fegher, who spoke to SaharaReporters on Thursday, revealed the new method the commission has deployed in its alleged exploitation of Nigerians in the East African nation.
The Nigerian High Commission in Nairobi has been accused of dubiously exploiting Nigerians living in Kenya by imposing $42 on them for passport services.
A Nigerian missionary assigned to work in Kenya, Revd. Br. Moses Fegher, who spoke to SaharaReporters on Thursday, revealed the new method the commission has deployed in its alleged exploitation of Nigerians in the East African nation.
According to Fegher, the Nigerian High Commission in Nairobi, has imposed a $42 fee for passport renewal services and collection in their offices outside the official charges.
He questioned if such generally applies to all Nigerians in other countries.
According to him, as shown in some visa documents made available to SaharaReporters on Thursday, an applicant for passport renewal will pay $30 for COD - "Cash on Delivery", and additional $12 as transaction fee. He said the $30 fee "is not for courier services required to deliver the passport to applicant".
In a statement made to SaharaReporters, titled: "Being Apprehensive As A Citizen Outside The Country," Fegher explained that COD, as indicated on the payment slip, stands for "Cash on Delivery."
It refers to a payment method where the buyer pays for the goods at the time of delivery, instead of in advance.
"While ostensibly working on a machine repair, they were actually finalizing plans to increase the "Cash on Delivery" (COD) fee at the Nigerian High Commission in Nairobi," he lamented.
He revealed that the fee, previously collected in cash or via M-Pesa, has been increased from Ksh 2,000 (approx. $20) to Ksh 5,045 (approx. $30) and integrated into the electronic payment system.
"Additionally, you can’t pay directly with Nigerian currency, even if you have a Visa Card. As a Nigerian, you'll still need to use a specific platform mentioned on the payment slip to buy the $180 at a rate of $12. Really?
"Convert this amount ($42) into Nigerian Naira to grasp the financial burden on Nigerians for services offered at the High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya," he decried.
He, however, questioned: "Do other embassies also impose a fee for passport renewal services and collection in their offices outside the official charges?"
In September 2022, Fegher narrated how Nigeria's High Commission in Kenya allegedly indulged in passport racketeering and other corrupt practices against Nigerians.
Fegher said he had chosen to swim against the current of being indifferent to the act of endless wickedness being meted out to Nigerians.
The missionary lamented that young Nigerians who clamoured to be given the chance to lead were at the helm of the alleged exploitation of Nigerians in Kenya.
"The people working at the High Commission value their pockets more than the lives of the Nigerians they are sent here to protect and take care of. Good leaders stand for relevance and they are never afraid to face the fact headstrong but when leaders themselves have turned to be preying on their own subjects, it is worrisome," he said about the Commission’s staff members in 2022.
When SaharaReporters reached out to Alao Babatunde, an aide to Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on the matter, he requested for time to get clarification, noting that ordinarily it doesn't supposed to be so.
At the time of filing this report, several hours after, Babatunde had yet to get back with any clarification.