e- Passport Issuance Ends Dec 31

Prospective passport applicants have been advised to begin the process of obtaining the new e-passport to avoid rushing to beat the Dec. 31, deadline.

The Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Imo, Mr Ndubuisi Ndife, gave the advice in a statement issued in Owerri on Wednesday.

Ndife in the statement, explained that the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) would cease to be valid for international trips on Dec. 31.

“The NIS, Imo Command, wishes to remind the public that the deadline for the use of MRP as a valid travel document ends on Dec. 31,” it stressed.

According to the statement, only e-passport with enhanced security features will be acceptable as a valid travel document for Nigerians from Jan. 1, 2011.

“Citizens are therefore, advised to avail themselves of the opportunity to procure the e-passports now to avoid last minute rush”, the statement added.