Diplomatic passports: Ex-governors, lawmakers, others maybe arrested

Firstclass newsline gathered that strong indications emerged on
Saturday that the Federal Government had ordered the Nigeria
Immigration Service and other security agencies to mount surveillance
at all ports of entry into the country and arrest unauthorised holders
of diplomatic and official passports.
Firstclass newsline gathered that the order was issued following a
report on the arrest of a former lawmaker in Saudi Arabia.
According to 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.
Firstclass newsline gathered that such violators would be charged to
court for impersonation.
A senior security officer at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport,
Abuja, who spoke to a source on condition of anonymity, confirmed the
development.
The source 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.
It was gathered that 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 said 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.
King, who declined to give the number of those who had returned theirs
to a source, said many former government officials had started
returning the passports, adding that compliance to the directive was
high.
King said, "Many former officials have started returning their
official and diplomatic passports, but I can't give you a figure now
because we have to inform the government on the progress being
recorded.
"For those who have yet to return theirs, the Nigeria Immigration
Service will confiscate the documents at all entry ports and borders,
and this may be embarrassing to the holders, hence we want to urge
everyone who is illegally holding the passports to return them
forthwith."
He urged those who had yet to surrender their passports to do so to
avoid being embarrassed.
King added, "It will amount to impersonation for anyone to present the
diplomatic or official passport in a foreign country in his former
capacity as a government official, governor or legislator when he is
no longer occupying that position.
"Such a person will be referred to the Police for investigation and
prosecution for impersonation."
He explained that the passports were issued to the holders when they
were in office for use during official trips.
According to him, holding on to the passports after retiring or after
leaving office is akin to impersonation, which is a criminal offence.
Abeshi, in his earlier directive, had stated that the diplomatic and
official passports issued to former government officials had been
revoked and should be returned immediately.
He had said, "Failure to comply with this directive will amount to an
offence under the Immigration Act 2015. Such unauthorised possession
will be impounded at our control posts on arrival or departure."
The NIS said 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.
FG to get report on ex-senator from S'Arabia
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.
It was learnt that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had reached out to
the Nigerian Embassy in the Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for full
briefing on the circumstances that led to the senator's arrest and
detention.
Sources at the ministry said the report would be delivered to the
Federal Government during the week.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmedu Ogbole-Ode,
said the ministry had reached out to the embassy and was waiting for
the report, which is expected to be turned in during the week.
Ogbole-Ode had informed one of our correspondents that the ministry
was expecting a full report of the incident, which he said, would
determine the next step from the government.
"We are waiting for a full report on the incident from Saudi Arabia;
it is when we get the report that we can decide the next step to take.
I have made attempts to reach the embassy there, but the telephone
network was bad and I couldn't reach them," he explained.
Our members are law-abiding– PDP, APC
The Peoples Democratic Party has said its members must have complied
with the directive to surrender their diplomatic passports to the
Federal Government.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, stated
that all Nigerians were accountable to the government.
He said, "The Federal Government made a rule; it is the rule of the
government. We are a law-abiding party; we are a responsible party and
all citizens must obey the constitution and the laws of the land.
"If you have no reason and you are not covered, protected, empowered
and you are not supposed to have a diplomatic passport, why should you
have it? You should submit it accordingly as the government has
directed.
"I do not believe that there is anybody among our members who has not
submitted the passport. Our people must have complied."
Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All
Progressives Congress, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said members of the party
were aware of the rules about diplomatic passports and the
consequences if they flout them.
"Why the government is doing this is to ensure that nobody will
impersonate an official of the incumbent government and being entitled
to what they are not entitled to," he said.
Firstclassnewsline.net