Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to allow Nigerians in the diaspora to return to home with their expired international passports.
Responding to a complaint by a Nigerian-American citizen, Mr. Jamui Kasumu, Aregbesola gave the directive on Wednesday at the Alausa Passport Office in Lagos.
It was gathered that Kasumu complained to the minister that the Nigeria Immigration in America and Delta airline prevented him from returning to Nigeria because of an expired Nigerian passport.
He said he was able to return to Nigeria after he got a travel certificate, which he obtained through a relation in Nigeria, The Star reported.
Aregbesola, however, said Nigerians in the diaspora were free to come back home with expired or non-expired Nigerian passports.
He also said no Nigerian needed a travel certificate to return to the country, except children, whose parents were Nigerians, but their identities were yet to be established according to immigration rules.
“I am using this medium to instruct all Nigeria Immigration officers World-Wide to accord Nigerian travellers with expired passports to use such passports to return safely back home henceforth,” the minister said.
He further enjoined Nigerians abroad to update their travel documents ahead of time to avoid rush during emergency.
