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BREAKING: Niger demands international passport from Nigerians entering Republic, bans ECOWAS passport
The neighbouring Niger Republic has banned the use of ECOWAS passport by Nigerians entering into the country.
The new immigration law by the current government demands the use of international passport before travelling into the country and the enforcement of the law has commenced.
The change of immigration law followed the West Africa nation’s withdrawal of its membership from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
Burkina Faso, a West African nation also withdrew its membership from ECOWAS.
CAPITAL POST gathered that Nigerians travelling to Niger Republic through Ilella a bordering Local Government Council in Sokoto in the North West Nigeria through Konni in Niger have started experiencing strict checks on their documents by security and Niger immigration officers.
A traveler, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi explained his experience to journalists saying:
“I believe there is a move to abolish the ECOWAS passport as a means of travelling here; they have started harassing us if we are entering the country.
“Some of our people are being turned back home. We learnt that there is a new passport being issued now to everyone coming to Niger Republic to replace the old ECOWAS passport.
“Some of our people are getting scared of the aftermath of all these issues, which have started to affect our business and trading activities”
A source in Taiwan, a state in Niger Republic, informed the platform that border officials have started turning back individuals relying solely on the ECOWAS passport.
“Some of our people have already been sent home. The authorities insist on their own national passport, making it difficult for traders and travellers,” he explained.
A commercial driver on the Illela-Konni route, Abubakar Isa, alleged that security officials in Niger have begun exploiting the situation to extort travellers.
“They demand between 5,000 to 10,000 CFA before allowing those with an ECOWAS passport to pass. If you can’t produce Niger’s new identification document, they take you to their office and pressure you to pay a bribe.
