A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to always ensure that applicants who meet all the requirements to get international passports get them within six weeks.
The court said this delivery period is achievable because it is in line with Section 9(4) of the Immigration Act 2015.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order in a judgment he delivered on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by an aggrieved Nigerian, Benita Ngozi Ezumezu against the NIS and the minister – listed as respondents.
Ezumezu claimed to have applied for Nigeria’s international passport and met all the requirements as at October 6, 2022, but claimed that the NIS failed to issue her the passport, 14 weeks after submitting her application.
In the judgment delivered on December 4, Justice Nwite rejected the respondents’ arguments, upheld the applicant’s claims and granted all the reliefs the applicant sought.
Justice Nwite, who awarded N3 million damages against the respondents and in favour of the applicant, declared that as at October 6, 2022, Ezumezu had fulfilled all the requirements and was qualified to be issued passport within six weeks.
The judge also declared that the respondents’ failure to issue the applicant an international passport, 14 weeks after meeting all requirements, violated Section 9(4) of the Immigration Act 2015 and the applicant’s right to freedom of movement.
He issued an order “directing the first respondent (NIS) to issue the applicant (Ezumezu) passport forthwith, as stipulated in Section 9(4) of the Immigration Act 2015”.
