- The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to withdraw and deactivate passports belonging to individuals who have renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
- The directive is rooted in Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that once a renunciation is registered by the President, the individual officially ceases to be a Nigerian citizen.
- This move is part of broader efforts to eliminate identity fraud and prevent former citizens from using Nigerian sovereign documents for international travel.
The Federal Government has taken a decisive step to tighten citizenship integrity by ordering the immediate withdrawal of passports from persons who have formally severed ties with the country.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, issued the directive on Saturday, April 11, 2026, targeting individuals whose requests to renounce their citizenship have received presidential approval.
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Through a statement by his spokesperson, Alao Babatunde, the Minister emphasized that a Nigerian passport is a sovereign document reserved exclusively for citizens.
Under the current legal framework, any Nigerian of full age can declare their intent to renounce citizenship.
Once this declaration is registered and approved by the President, the individual loses all rights and privileges associated with being a Nigerian.
The Minister noted that the new directive aims to close a long-existing loophole where former citizens continued to hold and travel with Nigerian passports long after their status had changed.
This practice, he noted, posed risks to border security and the sanctity of the national identity database.
This latest action is an extension of the ongoing passport and visa reforms championed by Tunji-Ojo since assuming office.
The Ministry of Interior has been working to modernize the Nigeria Immigration Service’s operations, focusing on digital deactivation to ensure that ineligible persons cannot bypass security protocols at home or abroad.
“We are strengthening systems to prevent identity fraud and preserve the value of the Nigerian passport,” the Minister stated, adding that the NIS has been empowered to act immediately on the list of approved renunciations.
The directive comes amid a period of significant fiscal and administrative restructuring within the government.
By ensuring that only legitimate citizens possess valid travel documents, the Ministry aims to improve the global standing of the Nigerian passport and facilitate smoother travel for genuine holders.
As the Nigeria Immigration Service begins the deactivation process, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to securing the nation’s borders and maintaining a credible, fraud-free registry of its citizens.
