Immigration withdraws diplomatic passports of ex-govs, others

The Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Martin Abeshi has ordered former Governors, ministers and holders of such executive political offices who were issued diplomatic passports to return them with immediate effect.

This latest was given yesterday in a statement signed by the CG himself that failure to comply to this directive would amount to a gross violation of the law as contained in the NIS 2015 Act as amended.

Recall that the Federal Government had ordered the withdrawal of all diplomatic and official passports from people, especially, who have no good reasons to use such privileged travel documents.

The statement reads in part “Further to the directive on the withdrawal of diplomatic and official passports held by unauthorized persons, the Nigeria Immigration Service hereby directs all affected persons to comply forthwith”.

These persons include according to the statement, “among others, former State Governors, Senators, Members of House of Representatives, Member of State Houses of Assemblies, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers/Special Assistants, Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Local Government Area Councils. “Others are all Retired Heads of Parastatals and Retired Public Servants.”

The statement went on to urge this category of people to return the said documents to the headquarters of the NIS in Sauka, Abuja and not use it again for whatever purpose.

Because these “passports which were previously held by them have been revoked and should return them with immediate effect. ‪ “Failure to comply with this directive will amount to an offence under the Immigration Act 2015. Such unauthorized possession will be impounded at our control posts on arrival or departure,” Abeshi said.