In light of the recent viral incident involving a woman who tore her husband’s passport upon his return to Nigeria, the legal framework governing Nigerian passports has come into focus.
Many Nigerians remain unaware of the specific laws and potential offences related to handling this crucial national document.
The Nigerian passport is protected under the Immigration Act 2015, which outlines several actions that constitute legal offences. Understanding these legal boundaries is crucial to avoid severe penalties.
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Here are five common offences related to Nigerian passports as stipulated in the Immigration Act 2015:
- Tampering or Mutilation: Altering, tampering with, or mutilating any passport or its pages is a criminal offence.
- False Statements: Making or causing false statements to obtain a passport, whether for oneself or another, is illegal.
- Multiple Applications: Submitting multiple passport applications with the intent to obtain more than one passport is prohibited.
- Concealment of Loss: Failing to report the loss of a passport or hiding it from authorities is an offence.
- Forgery and Trafficking: Forging, trafficking, or possessing a forged passport, knowing it to be forged, is a serious crime.
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Violating any of these laws can result in a prison sentence of up to ten years, a fine of two million naira, or both. This incident serves as a reminder for Nigerians to familiarize themselves with these laws to avoid unintentional offences and the severe consequences that follow.
Source: Vanguard