A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure that applicants of international passports who meet all the requirements get their identification within six weeks.
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 Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Ezumezu argued 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.
Justice Nwite, who granted all the reliefs the applicant sought, awarded N3 million damages against the respondents and in favor of the applicant, declaring 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”.