Somalia’s Office of the Prosecutor General has launched an investigation into allegations that personal information on passports issued by the Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA) was unlawfully altered.
The allegations reportedly involve the agency’s Director General and the head of its Investigation Department, identified as Cabdiqafaar.
They are suspected of having links to the alleged alteration of information on some Somali passports. The allegations have not been independently verified, and the launch of an investigation does not establish wrongdoing.
According to information emerging from the case, some Somali citizens who already held passports may have had their personal details changed, with new information substituted for the original records.
Reports linked to the investigation further allege that passports with altered information were issued in exchange for payments ranging from $4,000 to $7,000 per passport.
Investigators are reportedly examining whether officials within the agency’s Investigation Department played a role in changing passport records or collecting the alleged payments.
The reported scheme was said to have been halted by Somalia’s Council of Ministers in August 2026, although further official details about that decision have not been confirmed.
The investigation comes amid reported administrative disputes and concerns over the management of the Immigration and Citizenship Agency and its passport services.
The case could raise broader questions about the integrity of Somalia’s passport issuance system, the protection of citizens’ personal information and oversight of immigration officials.
Any findings, however, will depend on the outcome of the investigation and the evidence established by the relevant authorities.