By George Mgɓeleke

Foremost pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) demands an urgent and comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s passport issuance system, following allegations surrounding the issuance of a second passport to Abuja-based realtor, Rebecca Godwin-Isaac, while an earlier passport was reportedly in the custody of the Federal High Court.

HURIWA says the controversy raises serious questions about the integrity, security and accountability of the Nigerian passport system.

The group says the Federal Government must immediately reform, standardise and enforce fool-proof procedures that make it impossible for anyone to obtain multiple passports through questionable processes.

HURIWA notes that the lawyers handling the matter allege that Godwin-Isaac reported an earlier passport, B00485650, missing or stolen and subsequently obtained another passport, B51450551.
The lawyers also allege that the second passport was processed through a “non-appearance/no-show” procedure and have questioned how the Nigeria Immigration Service allegedly issued another passport while the earlier document remained in court custody.

HURIWA says these allegations must be independently investigated because a passport is not an ordinary identity document. It is a sovereign document issued in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The association is particularly concerned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s own warning that foreigners may be using Nigerian passports to commit crimes abroad.

The minister recently acknowledged that the use of Nigerian passports by non-Nigerians is causing international embarrassment and disclosed plans to strengthen verification of citizenship before passports are issued.

HURIWA says the minister’s admission makes the latest passport controversy even more troubling.

If the Federal Government is already aware that non-Nigerians can allegedly obtain Nigerian passports through fraudulent means, HURIWA asks why the Nigeria Immigration Service has not completely blocked the loopholes that make such abuse possible.

The prominent civil society organisation demands to know whether the NIS has a central system capable of immediately identifying every valid passport issued to an applicant. HURIWA wonders why even with multiple chain of national identification system in Nigeria uploaded and managed by the National Identity management Commission (NIMC), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) allows non-Nigerians to obtain Nigerian international passports which constitutes a grave threat to our national security interest.

HURIWA also asks whether the immigration authorities have an effective mechanism for flagging passports surrendered to courts, cancelled, reported stolen or declared missing.

The Rights organisation says the alleged issuance of a fresh passport while another document remains under court custody should not be treated as an isolated administrative error.

It could expose a deeper weakness in the country’s identity-management and immigration-control system.

HURIWA therefore calls for a full audit of the circumstances surrounding the disputed passport and several pther cases, including the identity verification, biometric records, application trail, approving officers and the circumstances under which the document was allegedly issued.

The association further demands that any immigration officer found to have violated established procedures should face appropriate disciplinary and criminal action where evidence of wrongdoing is established.

HURIWA says the investigation must not end with the identification of an individual applicant. The authorities must also establish whether officials facilitated or enabled any irregular issuance.

The Rights group recalls that the lawyers representing the complainant family have given the Comptroller-General of the NIS 30 days to respond to their complaint and have threatened legal action if the agency fails to act.

HURIWA urges the NIS to respond transparently and promptly rather than allow the controversy to become another unresolved institutional complaint.

The group also calls on the Interior Minister to publish the outcome of the investigation and disclose the measures being taken to prevent similar incidents.
HURIWA says Nigeria cannot continue to demand that foreign countries protect the integrity of Nigerian citizens abroad while allowing loopholes that allegedly enable non-Nigerians to acquire Nigerian travel documents.

The association further says the credibility of the Nigerian passport is directly linked to national security, international reputation and the safety of genuine Nigerian travellers.

HURIWA is therefore asking the Federal Government to urgently introduce a centralised passport-verification system linked to reliable citizenship records, court orders, biometric databases and records of cancelled, lost or surrendered passports.

The association also demands strict monitoring of the so-called replacement passport process to ensure that reports of lost or stolen passports are not abused as a gateway for obtaining fresh documents through fraudulent means.

HURIWA says the alleged passport scandal should serve as a wake-up call for the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

The group stresses that accountability must begin from the top because the Interior Ministry exercises supervisory responsibility over the immigration service.

HURIWA says it is unacceptable for the government to acknowledge that foreigners may be using Nigerian passports to commit crimes abroad while failing to decisively eliminate the institutional weaknesses that allegedly make such abuse possible.

The association therefore calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demand a comprehensive report from the Interior Ministry and the NIS on the state of passport integrity in Nigeria.

HURIWA also demands that the Federal Government establish clear timelines for implementing the minister’s proposed citizenship-document verification system across the 774 local government areas.
The association warns that failure to act decisively will continue to expose Nigeria to international embarrassment and undermine confidence in the country’s most important travel and identity document.

By David Owei

The Tinubu Support Group (TSG) in Bayelsa State has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the 2027 general election, declaring that the state will deliver “bulk votes” to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Rising from its maiden meeting at the weekend, the pioneer leadership of the group said it was mobilising across political, ethnic and social divides to ensure a decisive victory for the President in Bayelsa.

A statement signed by the Bayelsa state’s Director of Media, TSG, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, said that the mission to return Tinubu for a second term was both patriotic and in the public interest.

The statement listed members of the TSG Bayelsa State’s Executive Committee as Engr. Preye Aganaba, State Coordinator; Bar. Edi Orubo, Deputy State Coordinator; Hon. Enaikada Omemu, Secretary; Hon. Amalanyo Yosou, Bayelsa East; Hon.Patrick Ekade, Bayelsa West and Dr Doodei Weeks, Bayelsa Central.

Others are Hon. Favour Emmanuel, Director of Women; Hon. Nunieh Odede, Director of Youths; Hon. Lori Ogoro, Director PLWDS; Edison Sorgwe, Director Ethnic Affairs; Joseph Fafi, Director of Logistics and Udengs Eradiri, Director of Media.

Eradiri, a former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, said the TSG, under the leadership of grassroots politician, Engr. Preye Aganaba, would take the achievements of the Tinubu administration to every community in the state.

He described Aganaba as a grassroots mobiliser with the political reach, depth and community appeal to rally stakeholders behind the 2027 re-election project.

“Our target is nothing but total victory. And at the end of the day, we will ensure that Bayelsa delivers bulk votes to President Tinubu in 2027”, he said.

Eradiri, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), said the TSG belonged to all Bayelsans and would work with Governor Douye Diri and the various leadership structures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure what he described as a deserving victory for Tinubu.

He said the task of winning Bayelsa for the President had been simplified by the performance of the Tinubu administration.

According to him, as campaigns unfold, the group will confront critics with what it described as facts, figures and evidence of the administration’s achievements.

“Those, who speak against the President, speak out of ignorance. We are going to show them the facts, the figures and the numbers that will make them change their perception and see the reelection of President Tinubu as a matter of public interest”, he said.

Eradiri said the TSG would embark on a massive mobilisation drive, bringing together associations, groups, youths, women, students, traditional rulers, indigenes and non-indigenes to pursue what he described as a common mission of returning Tinubu in 2027.

He said: “The Bayelsa TSG is ready and prepared to spread the gospel of the Tinubu’s administration. We consider it as a privilege to support the President, who has demonstrated the capacity to take tough decisions in the interest of this country.

“These reforms are already yielding expected dividends and another four years will deliver unprecedented prosperity to all. We have collectively weathered the storm; continuity and consolidation remain the best way forward. Bayelsa will surely be counted among other states in this historic journey of consolidation.

“The results are there in the economy, infrastructure transformation, petroleum sector, energy, security, decentralisation among many others and we will bring all of them to the fore. We will never join any move to reverse these gains”.

Eradiri said the group would take its mobilisation campaign to the grassroots, insisting that Bayelsa would not be left behind in what he described as the national movement to consolidate the gains of the Tinubu administration.

He added that the group was determined to ensure that the 2027 election in Bayelsa reflected what he described as growing public appreciation of the President’s reforms and policies.

By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded the immediate resignation of the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, over what it describes as gross incompetence and failure to adequately protect the people of the state.
HURIWA says Governor Alia has failed to demonstrate the capacity required to protect lives and property in Benue despite the continued attacks on communities across the state.
The association in statement signed by its national coordinator,Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko points to the scale of the killings recorded since May 29, 2023, as evidence of the worsening security situation.

Amnesty International reported in May 2025 that at least 6,896 people had been killed in Benue since the beginning of the Tinubu administration, making the state the worst affected among the states covered by its investigation. The organisation also reported that all 23 local government areas of Benue had suffered attacks and that more than 200 villages had been sacked.
The violence has continued.

In June 2025, more than 100 people were reported killed in the Yelewata attack in Guma Local Government Area, while thousands were forced from their homes. Amnesty International subsequently reported that more than 500,000 people had been displaced across Benue.

HURIWA says the repeated attacks, mass killings and displacement show that the people of Benue remain dangerously exposed to armed groups.
The association is particularly disturbed by the latest attack on Ayilamo in Tombo Ward, Logo Local Government Area.
According to local sources, heavily armed attackers invaded the community from Thursday night, September 10, into the early hours of Friday, September 11, killing several people.
The police have confirmed the attack and put the death toll at 11, comprising seven civilians and four mobile police officers.
The slain officers were identified as ASP Paul Ina; Inspectors Mohammed Yusuf, Oge Ikechukwu and Edeh Andrew.
HURIWA condemns the attack and demands a full investigation into the killings, including the identification, arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
The association also demands accountability for the repeated failures that have allowed armed groups to attack communities, kill residents and destroy livelihoods with apparent impunity.
HURIWA says Governor Alia cannot continue to govern as if the persistent bloodshed in Benue is a normal security challenge.
The association recalls that Catholic leaders and other stakeholders from Benue have repeatedly raised the alarm over the killings, including during engagements with United States lawmakers. HURIWA says such international attention should have compelled stronger and more coordinated action by all levels of government.
The association is equally concerned about what it describes as attempts by political authorities to minimise or deny the severity of attacks on vulnerable communities.
HURIWA insists that Nigeria must never normalise terrorism, mass killings or the systematic displacement of rural communities.
The association therefore calls on Governor Alia to accept responsibility for his administration’s security failures and resign if he can no longer guarantee the protection of the people entrusted to his government.
HURIWA also calls on President Bola Tinubu to strengthen security operations in Benue, ensure the protection of vulnerable communities and compel the prosecution of those responsible for attacks.
The association demands that the security agencies thoroughly investigate the killings and bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.
HURIWA insists that Nigerians have the right to demand accountability from every elected official whose constitutional responsibility includes the protection of lives and