FG Loses N10.9million To Visa Payment Reversals in S’Africa

Federal Government has lost N10.9 million as visa and passport fees at processing centres, Nigeria’s Consul-General in South Africa, Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke revealed on Sunday, July 24.

The Envoy, speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, in Johannesburg, South Africa, said that the Online Integrated Solutions, OIS, a firm processing passport and visa on behalf of the Nigeria Immigration Service abroad, reported the loss to the consulate.

‘’Evidence shows a recent compilation of 254 online payment fraudulent reversals of passport applications, which occurred between April and June, 2016. These acts were done by Nigerians to defraud their government,” she said.

Okeke said the acts were perpetrated through banks, adding that the South African banking system allowed anyone with a credit card to reverse such payment, if there was a complain, within 30 days.

“Unfortunately, some Nigerians in South Africa have perfected the act of defrauding the Federal Government by going to the banks to report loss or fraudulent use of such cards and the banks will reverse the payment,” she said.

According to the consul-general, Nigerians will pay online; collect the passports within the stipulated 30 days with the passports in their pockets, go back to the bank and reverse the payments.

She said the mission recorded 58 reversals of online visa payments between April and June, 2016. The envoy added that South African visa applicants reported they paid a Nigerian agent to process for them.

“The Nigerian agent will collect cash from the applicants, use his credit card to pay and reverse the payment thereafter,” she explained.

Okeke said the consulate was on top of the situation and that soon the Immigration Service would be advised on measures taken to deal with the situation.