Reports have it that the Federal Government had ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and other security agencies to mount surveillance at all ports of entry into the country and arrest unauthorised holders of diplomatic and official passports.
It was learnt that the order was issued following a report on the arrest of a former lawmaker in Saudi Arabia.
As stated by the report, the lawmaker was believed to be holding a diplomatic passport that had been cancelled when he was arrested.
President Muhammadu Buhari had recently directed former public office holders who were still holding diplomatic passports to surrender them since they were no longer representing the government.
Such violators could be charged to court for impersonation.
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A senior security officer at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, who confirmed the development said: “Following reports on illegal use of diplomatic passports, the government has directed that surveillance should be mounted at airports nationwide. Any illegal holder of such passports will be prosecuted.”
On Monday, the NIS, in a statement by its Comptroller-General, Mr. Martin Abeshi, urged 21 former governors, 42 ex-ministers and 309 former members of the National Assembly to return their diplomatic passports.
Also affected by the directive are former members of state Houses of Assembly, ex-commissioners, ex-special advisers and former local government chairmen.
Based on what was gathered, the Federal Government had instructed the security agencies to specially scrutinise the passports presented by Very Important Persons, including former public office holders.
The agencies were also directed to arrest any former public official who presented diplomatic passports at the nation’s airports and land borders.
The Public Relations Officer, NIS, Mr. Ekpedeme King, also confirmed that the Service would confiscate diplomatic and official passports from former governors, legislators and other former public officials at all entry ports into the country.
He stated any illegal holder of diplomatic passports would be handed over to the Police for prosecution.
The NIS’s spokesman also warned holders of the passports, who were not entitled to them, to return same to avoid embarrassment.
The NIS stated many former government officials had yet to return their diplomatic passports, hence a repeat of the directive, which was issued by the Ministry of Interior last week.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is expected to get a full report this week on the circumstances that led to the detention of a former senator in Saudi Arabia.
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