By: Erewunmi Peace

The Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed the arrest of several foreign nationals attempting to obtain Nigerian international passports through fraudulent means.

The arrests were announced by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, during a recent workshop for Passport Control Officers in Abuja. She described the attempts as a breach of national security and reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance policy on identity fraud.

“The Nigerian passport is a symbol of national identity. It must not be compromised or accessed illegally by non-citizens,” Nandap stated.

According to earlier reports, the Ministry of Interior had also uncovered attempts by over 2,400 foreigners to secure Nigerian passports using fake National Identification Numbers (NINs). These individuals had forged supporting documents in order to pass as Nigerians.

Further investigations revealed that some of these foreign applicants, including nationals from Cameroon and Togo, used falsified local government certificates and were allegedly aided by insiders and fraudulent agents.