Nigerian Immigration Service has ordered former Nigerian public office holders to return to it official and diplomatic passports issued to them while they were in office.
According to reports, the NIS said the action is based on the directive of president Muhammadu Buhari.
Those affected by the directive are former governors, former ministers, former senators, former members of the House of Representatives, and former members of state Houses of Assembly.
Others involved are former commissioners, former special advisers/special assistants, former chairmen/deputy chairmen of local government areas, all retired heads of parastatals and retired public servants.
The Comptroller-General of the Immigration Service, Martin Abeshi, passed the directive in a statement Monday.
He said, “These “These categories of persons are hereby informed that these passports which were previously held by them have been revoked and should return them to the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters Sauka Abuja with immediate effect.”
“Failure to comply with this directive will amount to an offence under the Immigration Act 2015. Such unauthorised possession will be impounded at our control posts on arrival or departure,” he added.
It could be recalled that on 24 August, the Federal Government had directed the Immigration Service to retrieve all valid diplomatic and official passports from all persons not entitled to hold such documents.
