The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday approved a bill proposing a 10-year ban on passports for citizens convicted of crimes in foreign countries.
The legislation, sponsored by Senator Abubakar Bello (Niger North), seeks to amend the Passport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act as part of a broader effort to restore Nigeria’s global image and curb the rising number of criminal cases involving its citizens abroad, according to a report by Channels TV.
During the debate, Senator Onawo Ogwoshi (Nasarawa South), who spoke on behalf of the sponsor, emphasized the urgency and importance of the proposed amendment.
He described the bill as both punitive and deterrent, noting that it would serve as a warning to Nigerians whose conduct abroad tarnishes the country’s reputation and undermines the integrity of the Nigerian passport.
“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.
The proposed amendment would withdraw a convicted individual’s passport for 10 years after the completion of their foreign sentence.
Backers told the chamber the proposal would signal Nigeria’s commitment to accountability and reassure international partners.
Recently, a prominent Nigerian, Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, was convicted abroad.
The monarch was sentenced to more than four years in prison in the United States.
Oloyede, 62, who holds dual citizenship in Nigeria and the U.S. and resides in Medina, Ohio, was sentenced on August 26 to 56 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko.
In a statement issued in August, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio said the monarch was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completing his jail term and to pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution.
“He also forfeited his Medina home on Foote Road, which he had acquired with proceeds of the scheme, and an additional $96,006.89 in fraud proceeds investigators had seized,” the statement read.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Oloyede led a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes created for struggling businesses.