Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has urged the Federal Government to introduce exit visas for Nigerians, News About Nigeria reports.
He made this call in a statement titled ‘The Need for Exit Visas in Nigeria’, via his verified handle on X on Friday.
Omokri noted that the number of Nigerians in prisons abroad is increasing at an alarming rate, and the only way to curb this menace is to introduce exit visas.
According to him, a Presidential Executive Order directing the Ministry of Internal Affairs to insist on an exit visa for any Nigerian wishing to travel out of Nigeria with a Nigerian passport is necessary.
He added that the requirements for the issuance of the visa can include a certificate of good character from the Nigerian Police Force on penalty of perjury, along with a detailed travel plan listing all countries you intend to visit on your trip, among others.
The statement reads in part, “The number of Nigerians in foreign prisons, according to a UN-recognised Nigerian NGO, the Patriotic Citizens Initiatives, is 170,000, of which the most common charges are drug and fraud-related.
“If we go by the PCI data, at least 10% of all Nigerians abroad are in prison.
“Now, how do you expect the citizens of these countries to have positive feelings for Nigerians if we ourselves do not do something to curb this international shame?
“I have been to Ethiopia 28 times, and during my last visit, I was about to be denied entry because of my Nigerian passport. I was informed that Nigeria’s visa on arrival status has been revoked because there are close to four hundred Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons, primarily for drugs, which is a drain on Ethiopia’s limited finances, because they have to feed them, accommodate them, and provide them with medical and legal services.
“And this is a country struggling to provide for its citizens after a war with Eritrea followed by a civil war with the TPLF in the Tigray Region.
“I have been given a list of ALL Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons, and it is exactly like the Indian situation. No Northerners. And 92% were from one region.
“We have identified the problem. We have seen the reaction. But what is the solution?
“I think the only way to salvage Nigeria’s image is by introducing a Presidential Executive Order directing the Ministry of Internal Affairs to insist on an Exit Visa for any Nigerian wishing to travel out of Nigeria with a Nigerian passport.
“To qualify for the visa, you must provide a certificate of good character from the Nigerian Police Force on penalty of perjury, along with a detailed travel plan listing all countries you intend to visit on your trip, as well as a reason for your travels, and proof that you have sufficient funds in your possession to be able to sustain the reason for your travel.
“Finally, for those Nigerians travelling to countries known as hotspots for drugs, they should also produce a guarantor, who must be a Nigerian citizen in Nigeria, with an NIN and BVN and sufficient funds in their account, so they can be billed to repatriate the traveller should they be implicated in a crime and jailed abroad.
“If we do not do this, and there are no consequences in Nigeria for those who bring the name of our nation into disrepute, these things will keep happening. Innocent Nigerians will keep getting harassed, maltreated, stigmatised, and refused entry abroad due to those Nigerians who have no qualms about destroying our global reputation.”
