NIS passport fraud crackdown begins as CG Kemi Nandap warns officers aiding non-Nigerians. Offenders to face prosecution under zero-tolerance corruption policy

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, has declared a zero-tolerance stance on officers issuing Nigerian passports to non-citizens.

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She confirmed that the Service’s legal department is pursuing disciplinary and criminal action against those found culpable.

“We’ll make sure that we prosecute them. They will not go free, not anymore. It is not acceptable,” she said during the opening of a three-day training workshop for passport control officers at NIS headquarters in Abuja.

The workshop, themed *Strengthening Identity Management Through Innovations in Passport Administration*, aims to reinforce professionalism and integrity in passport issuance.

Nandap stressed the passport’s role as a national symbol and a global representation of Nigerian identity. “Anyone who holds that passport, you are saying that you have certified that person a bona fide, true Nigerian,” she said.

A 2022 House of Representatives probe linked over 7,000 suspected cases of passport fraud to criminal networks and human trafficking. In March, Interpol flagged 27 fake Nigerian passports traced to enrolment centres in Lagos and Kano.

Nandap urged officers to apply rigorous vetting, stay alert, and rely on experience to detect fake identities. She cited ongoing reforms under the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, including contactless passports and automated systems, urging officers to embrace the changes.

She warned that “corruption, bribery or even fraudulent activities” will attract “strict and immediate disciplinary action.” Yet, she also committed to rewarding excellence. “We appreciate when people know what to do and they do the right thing,” she added.

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Officers were encouraged to fully engage with the workshop and return to duty with actionable strategies that support the Service’s transformation goals.