Senate considers bill to withdraw passports of Nigerians convicted abroad

A bill seeking to strip Nigerians convicted of crimes abroad of their international passports for at least 10 years has passed second reading in the senate.

The bill, sponsored by Abubakar Bello, senator representing Niger north, seeks to amend the Passport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and introduce stiff penalties to deter criminal conduct by Nigerians overseas and restore the dignity of the Nigerian passport.

Leading debate on the floor of the senate on Tuesday, Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, senator representing Nasarawa south, who spoke on behalf of the sponsor, described the proposed legislation as “imperative and compelling”.

Onawo said the measure would serve as a strong deterrent to those tarnishing Nigeria’s image through criminal acts abroad.

“Innocent and patriotic Nigerians suffer harassment in airports, visa denials and constant suspicion simply because of the actions of a few. The green passport, once a symbol of pride, is now widely disrespected. That is nothing less than a state of emergency,” he said.

According to the bill, any Nigerian convicted of a crime in a foreign country would have their passport withdrawn for a decade after serving their sentence.

Lawmakers said the move would punish offenders and signal Nigeria’s commitment to accountability before the global community.

Mohammed Monguno, senator representing Borno north and senate chief whip, said the proposed law is “very apt and germane”, adding that it would help reduce profiling and visa denials faced by law-abiding Nigerians.

“This bill seeks to punish Nigerians who have committed crimes in foreign lands by withdrawing their passports for 10 years. It will serve as a deterrent to others and help restore our country’s image,” Monguno said.

Babangida Hussaini, senator representing Jigawa north-west, also backed the bill and said it is “timely and necessary”.

He noted that Nigerians are increasingly being disrespected and profiled in foreign countries because of the ease with which passports are issued.

“Nigerians are profiled because of the ease of acquiring Nigerian passports. Sadly, crimes committed by other nationals are attributed to Nigerians. Only bona fide Nigerians should be issued passports,” Hussaini said.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session, praised the intent of the bill, noting that it would “preserve the dignity and integrity of Nigerians”.

“One of the things that attracts me to this bill has to do with the idea of preserving the dignity and integrity of Nigerians,” Akpabio said.

He recalled a case in Dubai where non-Nigerians used Nigerian passports to commit robbery.

“When investigation was done, they discovered that they were not actually Nigerians,” he said.

Akpabio added that any Nigerian who “messes up the image of the country” should not only be jailed but also lose their passport for at least 10 years.

The bill was referred to the committees on judiciary, human rights and legal matters, and interior for further legislative input, with a directive to report back to the senate in six weeks.(The Cable)