Lawyer Sues FG, Interior Minister, Immigration Service Over Passport Fee Hike

The Minister of Interior, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Attorney-General of the Federation have been dragged before the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, over what a Human Rights Lawyer, Francis Chigozie Moneke, described as an extortionate increase in the fees for obtaining Nigerian international passports. The suit, filed on October 6, 2025, is marked FHC/L/CS/2023/2025.

In the fundamental rights enforcement action, Moneke contends that the sharp increase in passport fees, violates citizens’ rights to freedom of movement and freedom from discrimination, as guaranteed under Sections 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 12 and 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Director, SSS v Olisa Agbakoba, the Applicant argued that the right to a passport is an essential facility for exercising the right to freedom of movement. He said making the document unaffordable for millions of Nigerians, effectively denies them the ability to freely exit or re-enter the country.

Moneke maintained that, as the Supreme Court held in Agbakoba’s case, “it is not conceivable that a right can be given without the facility for its actualisation”. He therefore, argued that the Government is duty-bound to make passports easily accessible and affordable to all citizens.

The Lawyer faulted the new fees of ₦100,000 and ₦200,000 for standard passports, describing them as unreasonable and oppressive. He said the price hike places a “deliberate hurdle”, in the full enjoyment of Nigerians’ freedom of movement.

Moneke further argued that the new rates are discriminatory against millions of Nigerians earning the minimum wage of ₦70,000 or less, or those unemployed, thereby, reserving passports for the wealthy few.

He is asking the court to declare the fee increase unconstitutional, and to order the Federal Government to revert to the previous rates, or impose “nominal fees” in the interest of fairness and social justice.