The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports belonging to individuals who have formally renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Alao Babatunde. It applies specifically to Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been officially approved by the President.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the decision is backed by Section 29(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which outlines the legal process for renouncing citizenship. Under the law, once a declaration of renunciation is registered by the President, the individual ceases to be a Nigerian citizen.
According to the minister, anyone who is no longer a citizen is not entitled to hold national identity documents, including a Nigerian passport.
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He added that the move is part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the integrity of Nigeria’s passport and visa systems. The directive is also intended to close existing loopholes that allowed former citizens to continue using Nigerian passports even after their renunciation had been formally recognised.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that the government remains committed to safeguarding the country’s borders, preventing identity fraud, and maintaining the credibility of Nigerian citizenship, while still supporting lawful and legitimate travel.
