Caterer accuses NIS of refusal to renew passport over #Endsars protest

The caterer, Mosopefoluwa Odeseye, whose account had been frozen by the Central Bank of Nigeria in October, was denied a passport by the Nigeria Immigration Service on Wednesday.

Odeseye said in a tweet that she had gone to renew her passport at the Alausa Passport Office, Lagos, but was informed that she had been blacklisted and was asked to proceed to Abuja.

She tweeted, “First, it was Central Bank locking up all my bank accounts, now it is Nigerian immigration not issuing my passport at Alausa! To what end, Nigeria? To what end? I applied for a re-issue at Alausa, captured some days ago and asked to come pick today then I’m told that I have been blacklisted?”

The CBN had in October asked banks to freeze accounts of some persons involved in controlling #EndSARS funds. The bank had told a Federal High Court that they are under investigation for terrorism, an allegation they have all denied.

Recall that in November, the NIS had seized the passport of Modupe Odele, an #EndSARS advocate. Odele, a legal practitioner and member of the Feminist Coalition, had narrated how NIS officials stopped her from travelling out of the country.

The lawyer, who was actively involved in the campaign, offered legal aid to persons who were arrested during the demonstration.

The NIS however denied this saying her passport was seized as part of a routine border assignment. It said whenever a restriction is placed on any individual, the immigration service is responsible for its enforcement. James added that the action is unconnected to the #EndSARS protests.

The #EndSARS protests which rocked the nation in October, was later hijacked by hoodlums leading to deaths and destruction of properties.