The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Services, Muhammad Babandede, said henceforth no resident permit would be renewed in Nigeria without proof of payment of tax.
Babandede said the NIS was working with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to ensure that “all foreigners no matter the length of their contract as long as they earn salary pay tax.”
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, Babandede said the era of some foreigners evading taxation in Nigeria even as they collect big pay package was over.
He said “now the renewal of resident permit is with evidence of payment of tax. Whoever works in Nigeria and collect salary must pay tax.”
He added that technology put in place would make it impossible for anyone to earn, especially foreigners, without paying tax.
He said “you cannot just escape anymore”, while lamenting that the issue of fake marriages between foreigners and Nigerian ladies carried out to evade payment for Resident Permit had been on the increase since 2020.
He disclosed that a Chinese and some Egyptians have already been found with fake marriage certificates, noting that the cases were being investigated by a department in the NIS.
Babandede warned Nigerians to desist from entering into “contract marriage for it is illegal and a means of denying the government of revenue by some criminally- minded foreigners.”
The Comptroller General said the NIS was worried that many Nigerians in the Diaspora who have made payment for passports had yet to be captured due to closure of some missions in some countries.
He said it was sad that in the UK alone, over 20,000 Nigerians were affected because of the closure of Nigerian High Commission in the UK.
He said: “A lot of Nigerians abroad especially in places like France, UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and countries that have put stringent measures in place including locking down till date, Nigerians in those countries and others experience hardship in renewing their passports and could not obtain a new one both to continue staying with a valid passport and for travelling back to Nigeria, we are working tirelessly with CBN, and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to resolve the technical issues that are hampering the smooth transition.”
He promised that their trouble would soon be over as “they are going to benefit from the issuance of 10-year validity passport which plan has been concluded to commence in London (UK) and Atlanta (US).”
He noted that: “Official Launch of the Enhanced 10-year Validity Passport has the need of Nigerians in the Diaspora as priority, thereby reducing the frequent travels by Nigerians to Missions for re-issue and renewal of passport.”
Babandede said the domestication of Nigerian passport was already concluded and it would soon commence, but insisted that at present no contract from the product of Nigerian passport was given to a Malaysia firm as wrongly reported.
He noted that it was given to a Nigerian company that might however have foreign partners.
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