The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports belonging to individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive, disclosed in a statement on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media, Alao Babatunde, applies to Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been duly approved by the President.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the ministry’s action is backed by Section 29(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which outlines the legal process for renouncing citizenship.
Under the provision, any Nigerian of full age may formally declare their intention to renounce citizenship, and upon registration of that declaration by the President, the individual ceases to be a Nigerian citizen.
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According to the minister, once citizenship is relinquished, the individual is no longer entitled to hold any Nigerian sovereign document, including a passport.
He noted that the directive aligns with ongoing reforms in the country’s passport and visa systems, aimed at strengthening identity management and border control.
The move, he added, is designed to address loopholes that previously allowed former citizens to continue using Nigerian passports even after their renunciation had been officially recognised.
“We are committed to strengthening systems that safeguard Nigeria’s borders, prevent identity fraud, uphold the integrity of citizenship, and ensure that only eligible persons have access to Nigerian travel documents,” the minister stated.