Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate Nigerian passports belonging to individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.

The order affects all former citizens whose renunciation applications have been approved and formally registered by the President, in accordance with Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution. According to the minister, once renunciation is legally recognized, the person ceases to be Nigerian and is no longer entitled to retain any sovereign identification document issued by the country.

Tunji-Ojo said continued possession of Nigerian passports by such individuals is unlawful and undermines the integrity of the nation’s citizenship framework. He described the move as part of broader reforms designed to tighten passport control, improve identity management, and strengthen national security safeguards.

The government says the action will also protect the credibility of Nigerian travel documents and ensure that only legally recognized citizens retain access to the rights and privileges attached to them.