
News
FG releases 10, 000 passport booklets, says no shortage of travel document
The Federal Government has dismissed concerns about the shortages of passport booklets, saying it has enough to meet the growing demands of Nigerians.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this on Tuesday while commissioning the Enhanced Passport Production Centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Media Adviser to the minister, Mr Sola Fasure in a statement said the newly commissioned passport centre will now be responsible for the production of passport demands from Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States.
“We have left no stone unturned in our quest to make passports available to Nigerians. Last year alone, we provided 1.3 million passports to Nigerians. As of today, there is no booklets shortage in Nigeria.
“As at the second quarter of this year (in June), the NIS have provided 645,000 passports out of the 750,000 applications received. To address the challenge of the backlog, we have sent 11,000 booklets to Ikoyi, 11,000 to Alausa and 8,000 to FESTAC centres in Lagos.
“We have also sent sufficient booklets to all the centres nationwide to address this challenge. There is therefore no excuse again for delay and non-issuance within a reasonable period,” Minister stated.

He also urged the public to make sure they apply by themselves online to avoid being shortchanged by unscrupulous elements.
“I will urge applicants for the Nigerian passport to apply early enough before their travel date to avoid cutting corners and falling into the hands of scammers and other opportunists. It is important also that they apply by themselves at the Nigeria Immigration Service portal and not through touts and unscrupulous officials, which often bring heartaches.
“We have provided a window of six weeks and three weeks for fresh application and renewal respectively, after biometric data capture, by which time, other things being equal, the passport will be ready for collection. This timeline is to enable NIS investigate and validate the claims of applicants and confer integrity on the passport issued. It is a reasonable provision in passport administration by global standard. There is no wait-and-get passport service anywhere in the world. The only wait-and-get passport is passport-sized photograph from Polaroid camera,” the Minister stated.
The Minister added that the Passport Production Centre will serve applicants from Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States, but was quick to add that it does not confer any advantage or disadvantage on any of the centres, noting that a deployment of 10,000 booklets have been deployed to serve the four states with immediate effect.
He also stated that there are currently no backlogs in any of the four states.
“The production centre we are launching today will serve Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States for production purpose only. It doesn’t confer any advantage or disadvantage on the applicants in any of the four states. It is simply a production centre.
“We have also delivered 10,000 passports to this centre. This is in addition to the fact that there are no backlogs to be cleared. In some advanced countries we often like to cite, it takes months to procure their passports. But in addition to the standardized timeline, we have also introduced tracking mechanism in the application process, to enable applicants monitor the progress of their application.
“We are also introducing data capture centres all over the country before the end of this year, to eliminate physical contacts with NIS officials. We shall continue to introduce necessary and available innovations to passport administration in order to best serve applicants in our quest for establishing citizenship integrity,” the minister stated.
While speaking, Governor Nyesom Wike, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Gogo Banigo, promised to continue to support the Nigeria Immigration Service in the state, as it was the policy of his administration.
“We will continue to support the Nigeria Immigration Service, just as we provided the building now housing the production centre.
“Just as we provide support to all security agencies in the state and in particular, the agencies under the ministry of Interior, we would continue to prioritize the welfare of the citizens of the state,” Gov. Wike stated.
During his opening address, Acting Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Idris Isah Jere, revealed that the service will no longer condone any act of indiscipline by officer, noting that they must be professional in carrying out their assigned duties.
Also at the event were the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, represented by Brig. General EC Echebuwe; Commander, 115 Special Operations Group, Group Captain AA Opaleye; Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr. Friday, Eboka; Controller of Customs, Rivers State Command, Dappa Williams; Rivers State Director, Department of State Services, Mr. Mohammed Shittu; Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Umar Salisu Galadanchi; Rivers State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mark Balm; amongst other dignitaries.

News
UK-based Nigerian divorces wife after viral cheating allegation
A United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, identified on X as Ugo (@heismric), has confirmed the end of his marriage after publicly alleging that his wife was involved in infidelity while he was working abroad and funding her education and family life.
Ugo, who shared a series of emotional posts that later went viral, said the marriage has now been officially dissolved, adding that he received confirmation of the final order from the UK courts.
The couple’s relationship had previously been widely admired online.
According to him, the relationship began with a proposal in January 2023, followed by marriage in December 2023. They later welcomed a child in 2024, after which he relocated his wife to the United Kingdom.
He claimed he took full responsibility for the family’s financial needs, including paying her school fees and supporting her throughout pregnancy and childbirth.
He also said he went as far as developing digital applications to support her well-being and their child, describing his efforts as part of his commitment to building a stable home.

After the birth of their child, he reportedly bought her a car as a “push gift,” a gesture that was widely shared online at the time as a sign of affection.
However, the relationship later deteriorated following allegations of infidelity. In now-deleted posts, Ugo accused his wife of bringing another man into their home while he was working in the United Kingdom.
In one of the viral tweets, he wrote, ”It’s crazy you’re in my house, sleeping with another man, but I’m in London working my ass out to pay your school fees in GBP. No! Send your tuition to that man. He’s man enough to sleep with another man’s wife; he should match it with his funds. Divorce finalised, gtf.”
He also alleged that members of his wife’s family did not condemn the situation, but instead continued to demand financial support for her education.
“Because her family didn’t see anything wrong in it, but have the audacity to ask me about her tuition. Also I know the man, and his stupid ass is on my Instagram and X viewing my posts. Talking about, ‘I miss you, when am I seeing you again’ while she responds ‘as you should,’” he further wrote.
As the story gained traction online, reactions were divided, with some users sympathising with him while others criticised him for airing private marital issues on social media.
Some also revisited his earlier posts showing public displays of affection, noting that he had frequently expressed love for his wife online, while she maintained a relatively low public profile.
In a follow-up post on Monday confirming the separation, Ugo wrote,”UGO’s wife. Divorce is finalised. It’s ex-wife.”
He later shared a screenshot of an official divorce notification from the UK HM Courts and Tribunals Service, confirming that the final order had been granted, thereby legally ending the marriage.

News
Three senators, 16 Reps members who betrayed Obi and should be rejected by NDC — Obi’s aide
The Special Adviser to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, on Media and Publicity, Valentine Obienyem, has argued that politicians who allegedly benefited from Obi’s political popularity in 2023 before defecting to other parties should not be allowed back into the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obienyem, in an opinion article titled “Why Political Opportunists Must Not Be Allowed to Run Again,” said some politicians secured elective positions during the “Peter Obi wave” of 2022 despite having little independent electoral prospects, only to abandon the political movement shortly after assuming office.
According to him, a number of elected officials rode on Obi’s political momentum to win elections before defecting to the ruling party, while a few others remained loyal and moved alongside the former presidential candidate through successive political transitions.
“During the Peter Obi wave in 2022, many individuals — some of whom never realistically had prospects of electoral victory — secured positions largely on the strength of his popularity and political momentum,” Obienyem stated.
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He added: “Shortly after settling into offices, several of them defected to other political parties. A few, however, recognizing the pivotal role Obi played in their electoral success remained with him. This explains why some have consistently moved with him from the Labour Party to the ADC and subsequently to the NDC. This pattern is often described as ‘following your leader.’”
The presidential aide argued that some of those who defected to the ruling party were now seeking a return to the NDC as another election cycle approaches, alleging that their interest was driven by the desire to benefit again from Obi’s political influence.
“Now, as another election cycle approaches, some of those who previously defected to the APC are either returning to the NDC or signaling intentions to return. Their primary motivation is the desire to once again ride on Obi’s political influence,” he said.

Describing such actions as political opportunism, Obienyem maintained that the NDC should resist granting party tickets to politicians who had previously abandoned the movement.
“This behaviour suggests a tendency to treat Obi as a mere political instrument — useful when advantageous and discarded when convenient. That is not a principled way to follow a leader,” he stated.
He further argued that defectors who left previous political platforms should not be allowed to displace longstanding party members, warning that repeated defections could weaken party cohesion and ideological consistency.
“We cannot continue to indulge opportunism in the name of political strategy,” he said, adding that individuals who felt “betrayed” by their former parties should seek alternative platforms if they believed they retained electoral value independently.
Obienyem listed three senators — Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Kelvin Chukwu and Neda Imasuen — among lawmakers he said defected after benefiting from Obi’s support base.
He also named 16 members of the House of Representatives, including Joshua Chinedu Obika, Chinedu Tochukwu Okere, Bassey Akiba, Ngozi Okolie and others, as politicians who should not be considered for return tickets under the NDC.
The comments signal growing internal debate over loyalty, defections and candidate selection within opposition politics as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.

News
10 feared dead as gunmen attack convoy in Zamfara
At least 10 people have been killed after suspected bandits ambushed a convoy along the Gusau–Magami–Dansadau Road in Zamfara State.
Several others are injured in the attack, while an unspecified number of passengers are reportedly abducted by the gunmen.
Eyewitnesses say the incident occurs between 4pm and 5pm as vigilante operatives escort residents travelling through the route, considered one of the state’s most dangerous highways.
The attackers reportedly open fire on the convoy, triggering panic among travellers and security volunteers.
Those killed include five traders, three local hunters and a member of the Zamfara Community Protection Guards (CPG).
The injured victims are initially taken to Magami General Hospital for treatment before arrangements are made for their referral to Gusau for further medical care.

However, hospital sources say the victims remain stranded in Magami because there is no available security escort to facilitate their movement safely.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident as insecurity continues to plague several communities across Zamfara State.

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