The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has clarified the circumstances surrounding the issuance of a Nigerian passport to Mrs Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac. According to the NIS, Passport No. B51450551 was issued to Godwin-Isaac on February 15, 2025. The Service explained that Godwin-Isaac had previously been issued Passport No. B00485650 on August 13, 2021, with an expiry date of August 12, 2026.
The NIS stated that Godwin-Isaac applied for the reissuance of the passport on February 5, 2025, to extend its validity and submitted the required documents. After the application was processed and the applicable identity-verification and biometric requirements were satisfied, Passport No. B51450551 was issued to her on February 15, 2025. It added that the previous passport, B00485650, was subsequently cancelled in its records and ceased to be valid for international travel.
The Service stressed that, as of February 15, 2025, it had not been served with or formally notified of any court order, watchlist instruction or other lawful restriction preventing the issuance of a passport to Godwin-Isaac or restricting her international travel. Godwin-Isaac was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge Nos. FHC/ABJ/CR/76/2025 and FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025 on June 18, 2025.
The NIS said the order requiring her to deposit her passport with the court was therefore made after Passport No. B51450551 had already been issued. It consequently rejected the suggestion that the Service issued the passport during her trial or in defiance of the subsequent court order, describing such an interpretation as inconsistent with the chronology contained in its records.
The Service, however, noted that any issue concerning Godwin-Isaac’s compliance with the subsequent court order requiring the deposit of her passport was separate from the question of whether the NIS issued the passport in contravention of the order. It said matters relating to compliance with the terms of bail or other judicial orders remained for determination by the court and other competent authorities.
The NIS further disclosed that its records showed that Godwin-Isaac subsequently travelled to Rwanda, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom after her arraignment. According to the Service, it had not received any court order, watchlist instruction or other lawful notification from the Federal High Court, the prosecuting agency or another competent authority directing it to restrict her international travel at the material times.
The NIS said it remained committed to institutional accountability, the rule of law and the integrity of Nigeria’s passport and border-management systems. It also pledged to cooperate fully with any lawful investigation into the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the passport and make relevant records available to appropriate authorities as required, subject to applicable law.
Key points
- The Nigeria Immigration Service issued a passport to Rebecca Godwin-Isaac on February 15, 2025.
- The passport was issued before her arraignment before the Federal High Court on June 18, 2025.
- The NIS had not received any court order restricting her international travel at the time of issuing the passport.
