Fake divorce certificates: Nigerian consulate in New York worried about the situation

The Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York has condemned the increasing number of fake divorce documents received from its nationals for certification.

A report on the activities of the Consulate for 2021 obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, said that the documents, purportedly issued by various courts in Nigeria, were presented to the Consulate-General for certification.

It is however not clear the number of fake divorce certificates that were identified.

“The Consulate recommends strengthening of vetting and certification process of documents presented for authentication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, intended for use abroad.

“This is to ensure the genuineness of these documents and avoid embarrassment to the Consulate and Nigeria.’’

According to the report, there has been an increasing rate of Nigerians visiting the consulate for assistance to regularize their stay. The consulate says it has rendered its nationals all the necessary support to be able to achieve their aim.

In addition, it said that the Consulate-General had succeeded in checking the forgery of authorisation letter from the Federal Ministry of Health for a waiver to bring human remains back to Nigeria for burial.

Prior to 2021, the Funeral Homes had their accomplices in Lagos, who forged the Ministry of Health letter, the Consulate succeeded in getting the Ministry of Health to send samples of its signatories, which was used to evaluate applications for waivers.

It said that the Mission received and processed requests for assistance from Nigerians in Prisons, as well as those stranded in the U.S. for various reasons.

However, it said that the Consulate-General was limited in this regard by budget constraints.