Lawyers, CSOs Petition Minister Of Interior, Immigration CG Over Passport Issuance To Suspect
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Jide Oyekunle
A legal firm, Olojunmi & Akeredolu, has petitioned the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation, Lateef Fagbemi over the alleged illegal issuance of a second Nigerian international passport to Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac, a defendant facing criminal proceedings before federal high court Abuja.
The petition, dated June 10, 2026, and signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olumide Olujinmi, on behalf of Mrs. Colleen Mero Yesufu and the Yesufu family, accused some officers within the NIS of compromising immigration procedures and undermining ongoing judicial processes.
According to the petition, Godwin-Isaac was issued a new international passport with number B51450551 on February 15, 2025, despite her earlier passport, number B00485650, allegedly being in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while she awaited arraignment before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The lawyers alleged that the issuance of another passport amounted to a breach of the Immigration Act, 2015, claiming that it bypassed existing security checks, litigation alerts, and biometric verification systems designed to prevent abuse of the passport system.
The petitioners further alleged that the new passport could have enabled the suspect to evade border control restrictions, despite claims that she was placed on a no-fly list by relevant authorities.
They urged the Minister of Interior and Comptroller-General to establish a ministerial panel of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the approval and processing of the passport, including the officers involved.
The lawyers also requested that any persons found culpable face appropriate disciplinary and criminal action for alleged immigration fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
They further called for the review and possible cancellation of the passports in question across international border control databases.
The petition read in part “ It is our brief that one Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac (suspect), who is currently standing criminal prosecution by both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force before several courts in Nigeria, has succeeded in exploiting institutional gaps within the NIS to defeat national border security.
“ This matter involves a brazen, institutionalised conspiracy executed with the active connivance of compromised elements within the Nigerian Immigration Service to systematically subvert the Nigerian criminal justice system.
“ On February 15, 2025, while awaiting arraignment before the Hon. Justice Obebi Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court, Abuja and with the suspect’s international passport number B00485650 securely locked within the vaults of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prevent her from fleeing the country, the Nigeria Immigration Service illegally processed and issued another international passport number B51450551 in the name of the suspect.
“ Thereby creating two valid international passports in favour of the suspect”
Addressing journalists at a press conference on behalf of Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse and Torture (INAHURAT) a human rights lawyer, Barr. Maxwell Opara described the development as a serious breach of national security and a direct circumvention of a court order intended to restrict the defendant’s international travel.
He urged the Minister of Interior to immediately launch a forensic audit of NIS records relating to the issuance of the passport and identify any officials involved.
The group also called for a joint investigation by the EFCC and NIS into the alleged issuance of the second passport and requested criminal proceedings against any officials found culpable.
Furthermore, INAHURAT urged prosecutors to seek a revocation of the defendant’s bail, arguing that the alleged procurement and use of a second passport constituted a breach of bail conditions and an attempt to undermine the authority of the court.
The organisation said it would submit detailed petitions to the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Interior and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, insisting that the matter represents a significant test of Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law, institutional accountability and the integrity of its criminal justice system.
He also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) to revoke the bail granted to the suspect insisting that it is tantamount to the breach of Immigration Act.
