NIS moves London passport intervention to new venue after alleged eviction

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has moved its London passport intervention exercise to a new venue after Nigerians attending the exercise were allegedly evicted from the original location.

Nairametrics learnt of the development from an email sent by the Nigeria High Commission in London at 9:39 p.m. on Monday, September 7, 2026, to applicants scheduled for appointments on Tuesday.

The venue change followed reports that Nigerians attending the passport intervention at Liyali Lounge were asked to leave the facility, although the High Commission attributed the move to “unforeseen technical challenges.”

What they are saying

The Nigeria High Commission informed applicants that the intervention capturing centre had been moved from Liyali Lounge to 56–57 Fleet Street, Temple, London, EC4Y 1JU.

• The Commission directed applicants to keep their existing appointment times and apologised for any inconvenience caused by the change.
• “Due to unforeseen technical challenges at Liyali Lounge, your intervention capturing centre is now 56–57 Fleet Street, Temple, London, EC4Y 1JU. Kindly attend at your booked time,” the email stated.

The notice did not provide details about the technical challenges or mention any payment dispute involving the original venue.

Backstory

The change followed an X post by Olamide Obe (@olajideobe), who alleged that Nigerians attending the passport exercise at Liyali Lounge were asked to leave the facility.

• Obe alleged that the Lebanese owner of the lounge evicted applicants because NIS and Nigerian embassy officials had not paid for use of the facility. He also alleged that no security was provided at the venue.
• In an update on Tuesday, Obe said stakeholders had arranged an alternative centre and advised applicants not to go to Liyali Lounge.

The allegations concerning non-payment, security and the eviction could not be independently verified at the time of publication. The High Commission confirmed the venue change but attributed it to “unforeseen technical challenges.”

Get up to speed

The UK intervention followed the deployment of a dedicated Passport Intervention Team from NIS headquarters in Abuja to provide passport services to Nigerians in the diaspora.

The deployment was directed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, with the team expected to work alongside the Nigeria High Commission in London.

• The NIS announced on August 31 that the intervention would take place across four UK locations.
• London and Manchester were initially scheduled for September 7 to 19, while Aberdeen and Cardiff were scheduled for September 21 to 26.
• Liyali Lounge was listed as the original London venue, while Manchester was scheduled to hold the exercise at Nigerian House, 23 Platt Lane.

The exercise is designed to help Nigerians obtain new passports, renew existing ones or resolve pending applications.

The London venue has now been changed to 56–57 Fleet Street, Temple.

What you should know

The UK intervention forms part of the NIS’s broader efforts to improve access to passport services for Nigerians abroad through physical intervention exercises and digital channels.

• The Nigeria High Commission in London also offers a contactless passport application option for eligible applicants, although it is not available to those below 18 or applicants seeking a first passport.
• For the September intervention, applicants were required to bring their passport application form, payment receipt, appointment slip and old passport booklet where applicable.
• The applicable passport service fee was £70, while £150 applied to lost, misplaced or damaged passports.

Applicants were also required to provide a prepaid Royal Mail C4 special delivery self-addressed envelope for passport delivery.

The NIS continues to operate regular passport application and renewal channels, which require applicants to complete their applications, make payment and book biometric enrolment appointments.