NDLEA scraps controversial visa clearance requirement for married women

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a review of its visa clearance procedures.

Persecondnews recalls that a contentious visa requirement, which required married women to obtain and submit their husbands’ approval letters as part of the application process, ignited a firestorm of criticism on social media on Wednesday.

Many criticized the policy, describing it as outdated and discriminatory.

In response, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesperson, said in a notice on Thursday that the removal of the provision was part of an ongoing review of the entire procedure.

The notice read: “The entire procedure for visa clearance issued by the NDLEA, as required by some countries, is currently under review, and the requirement for a married woman to present a letter of approval from her husband to travel is one of the items the agency has since discarded as a non-mandatory requirement.

“The inclusion of this item initially arose due to certain unfavorable developments in some source countries.

“Members of the public are assured that this item has been removed from the list of requirements in the ongoing review, which will be made public in the coming days.”