The directive applies strictly to persons whose renunciation requests have been formally approved by the President, in line with Section 29(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which provides that once a renunciation is registered, the individual ceases to be a Nigerian citizen.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports belonging to individuals who have renounced their Nigerian citizenship, the Interior Minister announced Saturday.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the directive applies to Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been formally approved by the President. The order derives from Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution, which states that once a declaration of renunciation is registered, “the person who made the declaration shall cease to be a citizen of Nigeria.”
“Once a person ceased to be a citizen of Nigeria, the person could no longer carry any sovereign document of Nigeria, including the nation’s passport,” Tunji-Ojo said in a statement.
The move aligns with ongoing passport and visa reforms aimed at strengthening border security, preventing identity fraud, and preserving the integrity of Nigerian citizenship.
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