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NIS cleared 204,332 passport applications in 10 months – Minister

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) cleared over 204,332 backlog of passports in 10 months.

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known while reeling out his ministry’s achievements in the last year, at a media event organised by the ministry on Friday in Abuja.

He said assured Nigerians that never again will there be backlogs of passports in Nigeria, with the reform measure in place.

“In the last year, we introduced advanced border management technologies, including GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and other surveillance tools and infrastructure, to enhance national security.

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“This technology allows for better monitoring and control of Nigeria’s extensive borders, ensuring that our immigration services are prepared to face modern security challenges.

‘As you are aware, we embarked on a comprehensive overhaul of the passport issuance process, addressing long-standing issues that have frustrated millions of Nigerians.

“One of our key accomplishments was clearing a massive backlog of 204,332 passport applications, a backlog that had left many citizens stranded for months if not years,” he said.

He said,” Today, I can proudly say that we have not only addressed this challenge but we have introduced home delivery services for passports.”

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Tunji-Ojo said that the innovation was to ensure that Nigerians no longer have to endure the stress of traveling long distances or waiting in long queues all in the name passport.

“Passports are now delivered directly to the homes of applicants, a service that has brought immense relief to thousands.

“The NIS has also implemented contactless technology, streamlining the passport application process and improving overall efficiency.

“The days of bottlenecks and endless paperwork are behind us. Today, Nigerians experience a faster, more transparent, and seamless passport issuance process.

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“We have also established a cutting-edge data center at the NIS with an impressive storage capacity of 1.4 petabytes.

“This state-of-the-art facility is designed to securely house and manage a vast array of critical national information, including the biometric data and personal records of Nigerian citizens,” he added.

The minister explained that the efforts were to ensure the safe storage and retrieval of sensitive information and enhance the efficiency of national security operations, identity management, and service delivery across the country.

Tunji-Ojo stated that the Federal Government had also embarked on the installation of a total of 41 e-gates at the five international airports across the country for a seamless screening of people who arrived in the country.

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According to him, eight are to be installed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, 21 slated for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, and four each at Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt airports.

“This is to offer diasporan Nigerians and returning citizens an automated, hassle-free screening process. This innovation not only improves efficiency at entry points but also ensures that our citizens abroad return home with pride and ease.

“We also made tremendous progress in international collaborations by enhancing our partnerships with global agencies to combat transnational crimes such as human trafficking, illegal immigration, and smuggling.

“These partnerships have bolstered our efforts to safeguard national security while contributing to the global fight against organised crime.

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“Furthermore, the integration of Nigerian passports into global standards (ICAO PKD and PKI) has further solidified the NIS as a key player on the international stage,” he said.

The minister added that the initiatives were to enhance both access and security, thereby, making Nigerian passports more secure and respected worldwide.

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Mozambique Top Court Confirms Ruling Party Disputed Win

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Fears are high that more violence could break out in the nation after the opposition threatened to call an uprising following the decision.

Mozambique’s highest court confirmed Monday the ruling party’s victory in a disputed October vote after allegations of rigging triggered weeks of deadly street clashes.

Fears are high that more violence could break out in the southern African nation after the opposition threatened to call an uprising following the decision.

The Constitutional Court said the ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secured 65 percent of the vote, revising down provisional results from the electoral commission which said he got nearly 71 percent.

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Chapo’s main challenger, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, received an upward revision to 24.2 percent of the vote.

The final results extend Frelimo’s half-century grip on power, lining up Chapo to take over from President Filipe Nyusi whose second term ends on January 15.

Mondlane has said that the election was rigged in favour of Frelimo and that a separate count shows he won enough votes to take office, which he intends to do.

Several international observer missions have also said there were irregularities.

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Some had thought the opposition’s challenge of the results was “a bluff,(that) we’re joking,” he told supporters on social media on Saturday. “So they will also be surprised on January 15 when they see Venancio Mondlane take office in Maputo.”

Mondlane has been in self-imposed exile since the assassination of his lawyer on October 19, a killing he blames on security forces, and it was unclear if he intended to return.

“Difficult days will come,” said the 50-year-old, who appeals to disenchanted younger voters in a country of 33 million people marked by poverty despite its abundant resources.

“The Constitutional Council’s ruling will lead Mozambique either to peace or chaos,” Mondlane said in an online address, promising a “new popular uprising at a level never seen before.”

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– Country on edge –

The southern African country has been rocked by unrest since the election commission said that the October 9 vote was won by Chapo.

No fewer than 130 people have been killed in two months of violence, most of them opposition demonstrators shot by security forces, according to local NGOs.

Cities, mines, borders and ports have been affected by protest action and operations at the main border with South Africa halted, causing its neighbour major losses in exports.

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Tension was already mounting in the capital Maputo ahead of the court decision with many businesses shut.

The main roads into the city centre were barricaded by police and access to the presidential palace and Constitutional Council office shut, AFP journalists saw.

The US government on Thursday raised its warning level against travel to Mozambique ahead of the Constitutional Council announcement.

Pope Francis called Sunday for dialogue and goodwill to “prevail over mistrust and discord” in Mozambique.

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President Nyusi and Mondlane had talked, both men confirmed last week, without announcing any outcome.

In an address to the nation on Friday, Nyusi said he hoped that once the final results were proclaimed, all sides “will open their hearts to a constructive and inclusive dialogue.”

– ‘Maputo under siege’ –

The protests have been the “most dangerous” ever seen in Mozambique, said analyst Borges Nhamirre, continuing despite deaths and arrests, and intensifying with police stations and Frelimo offices torched.

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“Protests have already been called for Monday. The main cities, including Maputo, will be under siege because of the fear of protests,” he said.

“I’m convinced that if Monday the Constitutional Council declares the election as free and fair, which I am 100 percent convinced it will, then the blood is going to flow,” Maputo-based political and security risk analyst Johann Smith told AFP.

“The whole game changes on Monday,” said Smith. “It will be a lot more intense and bloody.”

Mondlane had awakened resentment against Frelimo, he said, similar to discontent that this year led to the party that governed Botswana since independence being voted out and threatening to do the same in Namibia.

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“It’s almost like the Southern African Spring,” Smith said, in a reference to the Arab anti-government protests in North Africa in the early 2010s.

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Tinubu Bombs Obasa Over Controversial Lagos Council Law

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The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has reportedly slammed the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, over the contentious 2024 Lagos State Local Council Administration Law sent to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.

Visibly upset, President Tinubu questioned Obasa’s qualifications to draft laws that could destabilize the political harmony in Lagos State.

He repeatedly scolded the Speaker for his perceived individualistic approach to state matters and his confrontational stance toward the state executive, the party, and its elders.

A stunned Obasa was reportedly left speechless as Tinubu lambasted him for his alleged political misconduct and defiance toward the party, its leaders, and the governor. The President emphasized that matters concerning local government laws were beyond Obasa and the House of Assembly at this stage. Tinubu directed the Speaker to align with Governor Sanwo-Olu’s directives, particularly regarding the screening, approval, and confirmation of board members for the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

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Obasa was further instructed to comply with other instructions that would be communicated to him in the future.

The incident comes after Obasa, during the Lagos State 2025 budget presentation, boasted that no serving or former Lagos State governor was better qualified than him to oversee the state, which boasts the fourth-largest economy in Africa. His assertion, seen as a direct indictment of President Tinubu, who governed Lagos from 1999 to 2007, also highlighted his ambition to run for Lagos State Governor in 2027.

The controversial 2024 Local Government Administration Law has been widely criticized as a tool for Obasa to install his loyalists as administrative secretaries in the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). This move is viewed as part of his 2027 gubernatorial agenda, branded as the “Muda Eko, Obasa Lagos 2027 Agenda” under The Mudashiru Movement (TMM). The proposal has reportedly caused divisions within the APC in Lagos State.

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Bandits snatch Christmas foodstuffs, drinks from Kaduna residents

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Bandits have snatched foodstuffs and drinks from a man on a motorcycle at Gidan Abe community in Kachia LGA of Kaduna State.

A community leader from the area confirmed the incident on Monday.

He said the incident happened on Saturday, around 5:23pm when the man, who went to purchase a bag of rice, drinks and condiments for the Christmas at Katari was on his way to Gidan Abe village. Some bandits on motorcycle blocked him and seized the items from him.

According to him, the bandits who were on motorcycles zoomed off with the food items without hurting or abducting the victim.

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“Just this morning, I recieved information at Katari village where I went to see someone that some bandits on motorcycle snatched foodstuffs from a man on a motorcycle who was on his way to Gidan Abe village for Christmas,” he said.

The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Hassan Mansur, was yet to confirm the incident as at the time of filing this report.

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