The Nigerian Senate has passed a bill seeking the imposition of a 10-year passport ban on Nigerian citizens convicted abroad, advancing a landmark bill on Tuesday that promises to deter criminality and shield law-abiding citizens from global stigma.
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio made the announcement during plenary on Tuesday.
Following its passage, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Interior for further deliberations and a public hearing.
The committee was directed to report back within four weeks.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Abubakar Bello (Niger North), proposes legislation that amends the Passport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. If passed into law, it will mandate the revocation of international passports for at least a decade following the completion of any foreign sentence.
During plenary, Senator Onawo Ogwoshi (Nasarawa North), who led the debate on behalf of the sponsor, said the 10-year passport ban is aimed at addressing concerns over high-profile convictions of Nigerians overseas, from fraud to human trafficking, which have fueled visa restrictions and airport scrutiny for millions.
Ogwoshi also decried the “state of emergency” gripping the green passport’s prestige.
He argued: “The proposed amendment implies that where a Nigerian commits any of the foregoing offences in a foreign country and is convicted for the crime, the international passport of the convict would be withdrawn for 10 years. This measure serves as a veritable deterrent to the commission of crime in a foreign country.
“This proposed amendment will redeem, preserve, and elevate the image and integrity of our dear country. It is also an opportunity for us to demonstrate our commitment to good governance and stance against crimes and criminality.
“The commission of crimes by Nigerians in foreign jurisdictions has dealt a crashing blow to the reputation and image of Nigeria, and is costing us stupendous disgrace in the diplomatic community and in international transits. It projects Nigerians as persona non grata to whom foreign visas are restricted or denied, with a negative effect on our national interest,” he said.
Ogwoshi listed countries such as China, Turkey, Canada, France, Egypt, Germany, Ethiopia, South Africa, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates as destinations that now apply stringent visa restrictions to Nigerians due to the criminal actions of a few.
The lawmaker continued: “As a consequence of the injury to the integrity of our country from crimes by our citizens in foreign jurisdictions, innocent and patriotic Nigerians suffer harassment in international transits, denial and hardship in visa applications, discrimination and negative stereotype in social dealings, costs and distress.
“The green passport is widely discredited and the sovereign pride it intrinsically bears has severely diminished. That is nothing less than a state of emergency. The Legislature is mandated, under Section 4 of the Constitution, to make laws for the peace, order, and good governance of Nigeria. The extant law on the Passport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act is good, but good is the enemy of better.
“It would do better if amended with provisions that impose an extra layer of deterrents to the commission of crime by our citizens in foreign countries. It would demonstrate responsibility on our part to discourage the perpetration of crime by our citizens and to redeem the image of our country.”
Joining the debate on the floor of the Senate, Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West) called for stricter controls in passport issuance to prevent foreigners from illegally acquiring Nigerian passports.
Hussaini stated: “Nigerians of all shades and colours are being disrespected in foreign lands because of the ease of acquiring Nigerian passports. In some cases, crimes committed by foreigners are attributed to Nigerians simply because they carry our passports.
“We must reclaim the dignity of the green passport. When non-Nigerians use it to commit crimes, and Nigerians are profiled for it, that is an injustice to our people.”
Likewise, Akpabio, in his address on the bill, expressed his approval of the 10-year passport ban.
The Senate President cited instances where the country’s image was unfairly tarnished due to the misuse of its passports.
He recalled a case in Dubai where a group of black men committed robbery using Nigerian passports, but were later discovered not to be Nigerians.
Akpabio said: “This bill will help tighten the process of passport issuance and ensure that those who mess up the country’s image abroad face the consequences. Any Nigerian who tarnishes our image should not only face imprisonment abroad but also lose their passport for at least 10 years.
“I applauded this bill when I first read it, because it speaks to preserving the integrity and international reputation of our nation. So as this bill, when it goes through public hearing and all, and comes back to us, and we send it to Mr. President for assent, and the concurrence of our colleague in the House of Representatives who helped to cope such incidents, who tightened the ways and manner in which Nigerian passports circulate in the hands of foreigners, and also where a Nigerian goes to mess up the image of the country, such a Nigerian should not just go to prison and be deported to Nigeria.
“Such a person should actually lose an international passport for at least 10 years, or 10 to 20 years, to serve as a deterrent.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the proposed 10-year passport ban comes and many prominent Nigerians, including politicians, public officials, and celebrities, have been convicted and jailed in the United Kingdom and the United States for various criminal offences ranging from fraud and money laundering to human trafficking.
Their convictions have often generated national debates about corruption, image, and accountability.
Recall that a former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu was jailed in 2023 in the UK for 9 years for an organ-trafficking offence after he attempted to bring a vulnerable man from Lagos for a kidney transplant.
Also, a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, was convicted in the UK in 2012, serving a 13-year jail term for fraud and money laundering involving millions of pounds stolen from state funds.
A Social media influencer, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, was jailed in the US in 2022 for five years for fraud and identity theft, including defrauding U.S unemployment benefit programmes.
