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Minister of Interior, Ogeni Rauf Aregbesola has ordered the Nigeria Immigeration Service (NIS) to permit Nigerians living abroad to return to their country with expired international passports.
Aregbesola issued the instruction on Wednesday in Lagos in response to a complaint made by a Nigerian-American citizen, Mr. Jamui Kasumu, during his impromptu visit to the Alausa Passport Office.
He claimed that Nigerians living abroad were free to return home with a valid Nigerian passport.
The Minister stated that no Nigerian required a travel document to return home, with the exception of children whose parents were Nigerians but whose identities had not yet been verified in accordance with immigration regulations.
“I am using this medium to instruct all Nigeria Immigration Officers World-Wide to accord Nigerian travellers with expired Passport use such passports to return safely back home henceforth,” he said.
The Minister also advised Nigerians in diaspora to update their travel document ahead of time to avoid rush during emergency.
A Nigerian-American citizen named Jamui Kasumu earlier complained to the Minister that Delta Airlines and Nigerian Immigration in America had prohibited him from traveling to Nigeria because his passport had expired.
Kasumu claimed he was able to return to Nigeria after obtaining a travel document through a relative in Nigeria.
“I am appealing to you sir that the Immigration should allow Nigerians with expired Passport to come back to their country,” he said.
Ripples Nigeria