FG Withdraws Passports Of Nigerians Who Renounced Citizenship

The Federal Government has ordered the withdrawal and deactivation of Nigerian passports held by individuals who have formally renounced their citizenship of the country.

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, issued the directive to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) through his media adviser, Alao Babatunde, on Saturday.

According to the Minister, the directive applies to Nigerians whose renunciation of citizenship has been formally approved by the president.

Tunji-Ojo explained that the move is in line with constitutional provisions guiding citizenship status and the integrity of national documentation.

He cited subsections (1) and (2) of Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which state: “(1) 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. (2) 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”.

The minister noted that once a person ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria, such an individual is no longer entitled to hold any sovereign document of the country, including a Nigerian passport.

He said this was part of reforms in the passport and visa system aimed at strengthening national security and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s citizenship framework.

“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.