The Senate has advanced a bill seeking to impose a 10-year international passport ban on Nigerians convicted of crimes in foreign countries, as part of efforts to protect the nation’s image and tighten passport issuance.
The bill, which scaled second reading on Tuesday, received unanimous support from senators after being put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa Northwest), said the measure was necessary to stop non-Nigerians from fraudulently acquiring Nigerian passports and to curb the misuse of the nation’s identity abroad.
“Nigerians of all shades and colours are being disrespected in foreign lands because of the ease of acquiring Nigerian passports,” Hussaini said. “We must reclaim the dignity of the green passport.”
Backing the bill, Akpabio described it as “a bold step to preserve the dignity and integrity of Nigerians.” He recalled a robbery incident in Dubai where suspects were initially identified as Nigerians but were later found to be foreigners using Nigerian passports.
“This bill will tighten passport issuance and ensure that anyone who damages Nigeria’s image abroad faces consequences,” he said, “Any Nigerian who tarnishes our image should not only face imprisonment abroad but also lose their passport for at least 10 years.”
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Interior for further legislative action and a public hearing.
If enacted, the legislation will make Nigeria one of the few African nations to penalize citizens convicted abroad with a domestic passport ban — a move lawmakers say will help restore global respect for the Nigerian passport and serve as a deterrent against criminal behavior overseas.
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