By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports held by persons who have formally renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive, contained in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media, Alao Babatunde, covers Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been formally approved by the President.
Tunji-Ojo said the ministry, saddled with the responsibility of citizenship integrity, derives its authority for the directive from Section 29(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The statement quoted the constitutional provision as stating: “(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.”
According to the statement, the minister said once a person ceases to be a citizen, they can no longer hold any sovereign document of Nigeria, including a passport.
He also described the move as consistent with ongoing passport and visa reforms undertaken by the ministry in recent years.
He said the latest directive was aimed at closing a gap that allowed former citizens to continue travelling on Nigerian passports after their renunciation had been officially recognised.
“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 unauthorised or ineligible access,” Tunji-Ojo said.