Nigeria orders passport withdrawal for ex citizens

ABUJA – Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to withdraw and deactivate passports belonging to individuals who have formally renounced their Nigerian citizenship but are still in possession of the travel documents.

The directive applies to former citizens whose renunciation requests have been approved by the President, in line with constitutional provisions governing citizenship.

According to the Ministry, the move is anchored on Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which outlines the legal process for renunciation of citizenship and its effect once approved.

Section 29(1) states that any citizen of full age who wishes to renounce Nigerian citizenship must make a formal declaration in the prescribed manner. Subsection (2) further provides that once the President registers the declaration, the individual ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria.

The Minister stated that once citizenship is terminated, the affected individuals are no longer entitled to hold any sovereign Nigerian documents, including passports.

He said the measure is part of ongoing reforms within the Ministry of Interior aimed at strengthening identity management, border control and passport integrity.

“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,” the Minister said.

The directive instructs the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately retrieve and deactivate all affected passports as part of enforcement of citizenship laws and documentation controls.