NIS Moves to Restore Trust in Nigerian Passport Amid Diaspora Concerns Over Identity Fraud

In a bold move to protect the integrity of the Nigerian passport and rebuild trust among Nigerians in the diaspora, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a crackdown on corrupt officers involved in the illegal issuance of passports to non-Nigerians.

Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, announced this during a three-day workshop in Abuja themed “Strengthening Identity Management Through Innovations in Passport Administration.” She disclosed that the NIS legal department is actively pursuing prosecution of officers implicated in these fraudulent acts.

The development follows international alerts, including a recent Interpol report tracing 27 fake Nigerian passports seized in Europe to two NIS enrolment centres in Lagos and Kano. A prior House of Representatives probe uncovered over 7,000 suspicious passport cases tied to criminal networks, including human trafficking rings in Europe and the Middle East.

For many Nigerians abroad, the scandal has heightened fears around identity theft and further diminished the credibility of a document essential for international travel, business, and citizenship validation.

“We will no longer tolerate officers who compromise the nation’s identity by issuing passports to foreign nationals,” Nandap stated. “Every Nigerian passport affirms citizenship. Officers must ensure they are not endorsing impostors.”

This assurance comes as diaspora communities increasingly demand higher standards from Nigerian consulates and immigration outposts abroad, where complaints of bribery, long processing delays, and inconsistent vetting have become rampant.

Nandap reaffirmed that officers must uphold professional and ethical standards, warning: “The world is watching. Our credibility is at stake. This is about restoring faith not only in the system but in the Nigerian identity itself.”

She urged all passport control officers to leverage behavioural, linguistic, and physical assessments in the vetting process, ensuring only genuine Nigerians are issued travel documents. As part of the NIS's reform agenda under the Renewed Hope Initiative, innovations such as contactless passport systems and automated identity verification are being deployed.

The Immigration Chief emphasized that while erring officers will face prosecution, those who demonstrate excellence will be rewarded. “We will not only punish wrongdoing, we will also celebrate integrity,” she said.

With rising cases of fraudulent identity claims threatening the reputation of Nigerian nationals abroad, the NIS's latest actions may offer some reassurance to a diaspora community long concerned about systemic lapses and reputational damage.

The Nigerian passport remains more than a travel document it is a symbol of national belonging. For millions of Nigerians abroad, how it is issued matters deeply