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FG clears over 200,000 passport backlogs, settles ₦28bn debt
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Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced that the Federal Government has cleared over 200,000 unprocessed passport applications and paid off ₦28 billion in legacy debts — all without additional government funding.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at the Access Bank Guest Lecture Series held in Lagos on Monday.
Themed “Dare to Dream, Dare to Innovate,” the lecture focused on the need for visionary leadership, systemic reform and the transformative power of technology in public service.
“Leadership is not about reacting to problems, it is about foreseeing and solving them before they occur. And for that, you must always ask: What is your purpose? How will you execute it? And when is the right time to act?” he said.
Tunji-Ojo credited the achievements to strategic planning, innovation and the deployment of technology across the ministry. Initiatives such as the launch of an e-visa platform, contactless passport renewals for Nigerians abroad, and advanced passenger tracking systems were highlighted as major steps forward.
The minister also spoke about the dire conditions of Nigeria’s correctional facilities, calling for urgent reform. He revealed that over 4,000 inmates remain incarcerated simply because they cannot afford to pay fines as low as ₦50,000.
“This is not a legal crisis, it is a moral one. A society that punishes poverty more harshly than crime has lost its moral compass,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo noted that the ministry is collaborating with private donors to secure the release of non-violent inmates and is advocating for a shift in the prison system’s focus, from punishment to rehabilitation.
Planned reforms include digital case tracking, vocational training programs, and partnerships aimed at improving living conditions within correctional facilities.
“A correctional facility must correct, not condemn. Justice without dignity is injustice in disguise,” he said.
Chairman of Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, commended the minister’s leadership and innovative approach to governance.
“Innovation is not about big budgets, it is about big thinking,” he said, adding that the minister’s work shows what real public service should look like.
The event brought together business leaders, government officials, and policy experts as part of Access Bank’s broader initiative to promote national transformation through thought leadership and service-oriented dialogue.
Concluding his address, Tunji-Ojo called on Nigerians to live purposefully and pursue excellence.
“Let Access Bank not just be a financial institution, let it be a philosophy. Let Nigeria not just be a country of potential, let it be a nation of performance. It is time to refine our genius, not just export it,” he said.
A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudi citizens on Sunday, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco.
The Saudi Press Agency, citing an official at the energy ministry, reported the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the country’s east.
“The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash.
Aramco says it operates more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters serving more than 300 heliports in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region.
The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to ramp up their output following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the export of oil and gas.
The Gulf monarchy did not indicate the incident was in any way connected to a hostile attack.
During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks had targeted energy facilities in the Gulf.
Ras Tanura is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, and is critical to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
The refinery has been targeted several times, notably during an Iranian drone attack at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown.
Riyadh said in April that the weeks-long attacks had disrupted several production operations at key facilities, with refineries in Ras Tanura as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh targeted.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter, produces a little over 10 million bpd.
AFP
An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, planted by alleged bandits along the Kurawa–Sabon Birni road in Sokoto State on Sunday hit a vehicle, killing one person and injuring many passengers.
The incident raised fresh concerns over the growing use of explosive devices by criminal groups operating in parts of the North-West.
The vehicle was said to be conveying passengers from surrounding communities to Sabon Birni when it ran over the explosive device, triggering a blast that severely damaged the vehicle and left several occupants injured.
A security analyst based in the area, Bashir Guyawa, disclosed the incident in a post on his Facebook page.
Guyawa described the incident as another reminder of the persistent security challenges confronting communities along the border axis.
He said the vehicle was on a routine passenger trip when the explosion occurred.
“The vehicle was conveying passengers early this morning on their way to Sabon Birni when the unfortunate incident happened,” he wrote.
Twelve people were injured in a clash between farmers from Larabar Gadan Sarki and herders from the communities of Majawa and Karade in Warawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The chairman of Warawa Local Government, Lamido Sunusi Ahmad, disclosed this in a statement issued by his media aide, Musleem Garindau.
The statement said the council chairman visited the injured victims at Wudil General Hospital and directed that the local government should cover the cost of their treatment until they had fully recovered.
He also commended community leaders and security personnel for their swift intervention, noting that calm had been restored to the affected communities.
The chairman urged residents to refrain from spreading rumours or engaging in any act capable of escalating tensions and instead embrace dialogue to promote peaceful coexistence.
Speaking further, the Vice Chairman of Warawa Local Government, Hon. Ibrahim Abdu Madari, explained that the conflict involved residents of the communities, all of whom are indigenous to the area.
He said reports indicated that the violence began after a cow strayed into a farmer’s field and ate some crops. The farmer allegedly beat the cow, prompting its owner to assault the farmer, and the disagreement later escalated into a wider clash.
He also reiterated his appeal to residents to live peacefully and resolve disputes through dialogue and mutual understanding.
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