Months after directing past public officers to return their diplomatic passports and other official documents, the federal government has ordered the arrest of those who have failed to do so.
At his maiden briefing with top management staff of the Nigeria Immigration Service yesterday in Abuja, newly-appointed Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, ordered the arrest of all the former political office holders still in possession of their diplomatic passports.
“In view of the earlier publication for return of official/diplomatic passports by former political office holders and retired public servants, it must be noted that charges will be pressed against unauthorized holders of such documents,” Babandede said.
“This is because, such persons are no longer in the eligibility list and are, therefore, in contravention of Section 10 of the extant Immigration Act, 2015.
“I am, hereby, directing that unauthorized holders of such passports be arrested at the airports and other points of entry/departure. Efforts will be made also to trace such unauthorized holders in their given addresses.”
According to Babandede, 158 diplomatic passports and 310 official passports have so far been retrieved.
