The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to withdraw and deactivate passports belonging to individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive was issued by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who stated that the move applies strictly to persons whose renunciation had been formally approved by the President.
“The Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports of Nigerians who have renounced their citizenship but still retain the documents.
“This directive applies strictly to individuals whose renunciation requests have been formally approved by the President.
“The Minister emphasized that the Ministry of Interior, entrusted with safeguarding the integrity of citizenship, derives its authority from the provisions of Section 29, subsections (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which state:
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 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.
“He further noted that once a person ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria, such an individual is no longer entitled to possess any sovereign document of the country, including the Nigerian passport.
“The Minister added that this directive aligns with ongoing passport and visa reforms initiated by the Ministry in recent years.
“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,” it concluded.
