The Passport and Immigration Department has refuted an article published by the regional news entity Caribbean News Now which claims that a Nigerian national Mr. Alhaji Dhairu Barau Mangal was issued a St. Vincent and the Grenadines passport in exchange for a cash payment of US$75,000.
“I wish to state categorically that this information is false and unfounded” said Acting Chief Immigration Officer, Beverly Walker in a statement today.
She said “a thorough check was made of our passport Issuing System, and no such name appears in our database. In addition, the records of our Border management System reveal that Mr. Mangal never entered the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines through any of our ports.”
Ms. Walker noted that Nigerian nationals require a visa to enter this country, and nowhere in our records does the name Alhaji Dhairu Barau Mangal appear as having applied for, or obtained an entry visa to the state.
