The federal government has ordered the withdrawal of passports from Nigerians who have renounced their citizenship.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, issued the
directive to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in a statement signed by
Alao Babatunde, his media aide.
Tunji-Ojo said the move applies to individuals whose
renunciation requests have been approved by the president, adding that such
persons are no longer entitled to hold Nigerian passports.
The minister cited provisions of the 1999 constitution to
justify the directive.
“(1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to
renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed
manner for the renunciation,” the statement reads.
“(2) The President shall cause the declaration made under
subsection (1) of this section to be registered and upon such registration, the
person who made the declaration shall cease to be a citizen of Nigeria.”
Tunji-Ojo said persons who ceased to be citizens cannot
retain sovereign documents.
He said the directive is part of efforts to strengthen
citizenship integrity, noting that the move aligns with ongoing passport and
visa reforms.
“We will continue to strengthen systems that secure
Nigeria’s borders, prevent identity fraud, preserve the sanctity of Nigerian
citizenship, and facilitate legitimate travel while preventing unauthorized or
ineligible access,” he added.
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