Nigeria’s consulate general in New York has lamented the increasing number of fake divorce documents it received from Nigerians for certification in 2021.

A report on the activities of the consulate for 2021 revealed that the documents, purportedly issued by courts in Nigeria, were presented to the consulate general for certification.

“This development is worrisome as such documents, including Decree NISI and Absolute, ostensibly to dissolve marriages contracted in Nigeria, would have been first submitted to host authorities, and only presented to the consulate for certification after being rejected by host authorities,” noted the report.

It added, “To curtail these unwholesome practices, the consulate insisted that on the documents being first certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, being re-certified for presentation to U.S. authorities.”

The consulate recommended strengthening of vetting and certification process of documents presented for authentication at the foreign affairs ministry, intended for use abroad.

“This is to ensure the genuineness of these documents and avoid embarrassment to the consulate and Nigeria. It is pertinent to state that the consulate has limitations in independently verifying documents emanating from Nigerian agencies at home,” the report further explained.

“There has been increasing number of Nigerians visiting the consulate general to seek assistance to facilitate regularisation of their stay, following the promise by President Joe Biden to grant law-abiding foreigners their stay,” the report added.

In addition, it said the consulate general had succeeded in checking the forgery of authorisation letter from the health ministry for waiver to bring human remains to Nigeria for burial.

Prior to 2021, funeral homes had their accomplices in Lagos, who forged the health ministry letters, but the consulate contacted the ministry to send sample of its signatories used to evaluate applications for waivers.

It added that the consulate received and processed request for assistance from Nigerians in prisons, as well as those stranded in the U.S. for various reasons.

However, it stated that the consulate was limited in this regard by budget constraints.

Also, it said it rendered assistance to detained Nigerians arrested by host enforcement agencies, particularly the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (NIS), Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local police authorities.

“Following the receipt of such information, the department of consular and welfare at the consulate would contact the detainee, through the law enforcement officer handling the specific case,” noted the report. “The department will contact law enforcement officer handling the case to determine or confirm the Nigerian nationality/identity of detainee, the nature of the offence, the condition under which the Nigerian was being held.”

(NAN)