* Applicants raise alarm over alleged religious link in immigration payment system
Fresh concerns have emerged over the integrity of Nigeria’s passport payment system after applicants reported that the name Dunamis International Gospel Centre appeared during transactions on an official immigration payment platform.
Muslim News gathered that the issue was specifically observed by applicants processing payments through the Nigerian embassy in Frankfurt, a major city in Germany, raising international dimensions to the controversy.
Users attempting to pay passport renewal fees via the platform of the Nigeria Immigration Service said the account name displayed during payment authorisation bore the name of the Abuja-based church, rather than a government institution.
One applicant, reacting to the development, questioned: “How can the remittance gateway of a Nigerian embassy be going to a gospel centre?”
The unusual appearance has sparked confusion and concern among Nigerians, particularly given the sensitive nature of government financial transactions and the country’s religious diversity.
Another user added that if it were the name of a Nigerian mosque or an Islamic organisation that appeared, there would likely have been widespread outrage, with some Christians quick to label it as “Islamisation of Nigeria.”
Findings show that the payment system is powered by Paystack, a widely used digital payments platform. However, it remains unclear why a religious organisation’s name would surface within a government-linked transaction flow.
As of the time of filing this report, officials at the Nigerian embassy in Frankfurt were unable to provide an explanation regarding the anomaly. Similarly, neither the Nigeria Immigration Service nor Paystack has issued any official statement addressing the concerns.
Recurring concerns over religious links
A similar concern has also been raised in the past.
Muslim News findings revealed that this is not the first time such issues have surfaced around Nigeria’s foreign missions. In 2025, Nigerian human rights organisations criticised the Nigeria High Commission in London for selecting venues for a passport intervention exercise that were reportedly linked to a religious body, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
The groups including the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) said their investigation discovered that all the published venues for the exercise were either facilities belonging to the church or centres formerly established by the denomination, including locations where RCCG’s name had been removed from signage but remained the recognised owner
MPAC Executive Chairman, Mal Disu Kamor described the arrangement as “deeply troubling” and inappropriate for a highly diverse Nigerian diaspora comprising Muslims, Christians from various denominations, and non-religious citizens.
The development, at the time, raised concerns among stakeholders, who warned that the use of religious-affiliated facilities for official government functions could create perceptions of bias and deepen sensitivities in Nigeria’s multi-religious society.
Calls for transparency
Observers say the latest development involving the appearance of Dunamis International Gospel Centre in a government-linked payment process further underscores the need for transparency and accountability in the management of public services, particularly in sensitive areas involving finance and religion.
They warned that failure by relevant authorities to promptly clarify the situation could erode public trust and fuel avoidable tensions among Nigeria’s diverse population.
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