FG Directs Immigration Service To Allow Nigerians With Expired Passports To Return Home

FG has directed immigration service to allow Nigerians with expired passports to return home.

the Federal Government ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), to allow Nigerians in with expired passports from the diaspora to return to Nigeria.

The order was given by the Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, on Wednesday, in Lagos while responding to a complaint by a Nigerian-American citizen, Mr. Jamui Kasumu, at the Alausa Passport Office during his unscheduled visit to the facility, according to NAN.

The Minister disclosed that Nigerians can return safely to Nigeria either with expired Nigerian passports or non-expired Nigerian passports.

What the minister is saying

Aregbesola stated that Nigerians do not need a travel certificate to return, except for children whose parents were Nigerians, with their identity not yet to be established according to immigration rules.

“I am using this medium to instruct all Nigeria Immigration Officers World-Wide to accord Nigerian travellers with expired passports to use such passports to return safely back home henceforth,”

“Nigerians in diaspora should update their travel document ahead of time to avoid rush during an emergency.

The report cited that the Nigerian-American citizen, Mr. Jamui Kasumu said Nigerian Immigration in America and Delta Airline prevented him from coming to Nigeria because of an expired Nigerian passport.

“I am appealing to you sir that the Immigration should allow Nigerians with expired passports to come back to their country,” he said.

In case you missed it

• Newsonline reported that the Nigerian Immigration Service announced the launch of the enhanced e-Passport for Nigerians in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, which comes with a ten-year validity.
• NIS said the passport comes in 3 categories, which are a 32-page 5-year validity, 64-page 5-year validity and 64-page 10-year validity.