The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has denied allegations that it issued a fresh international passport to Rebecca Godwin-Isaac while she was facing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
It stated that the document was issued about four months before her arraignment.
The Service said the passport, number B51450551, was issued to Godwin-Isaac on February 15, 2025, following her application for renewal, while she was arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on June 18, 2025.
The NIS, in a statement signed by Akinsola Akinlabi, its Public Relations Officer, described reports suggesting that the passport was issued during her trial as ‘false and misleading.’
According to the Service, Godwin-Isaac had previously been issued Nigerian Passport No. B00485650 on August 13, 2021. The passport was valid until August 12, 2026.
The NIS explained that the issuance of the new passport in February 2025 followed her application for renewal and was consistent with regulations governing the issuance of another passport before the expiration of an existing one under certain circumstances.
‘In line with extant laws and regulations which empower the Service to issue a person with another passport before the expiration of a valid passport on account of loss, damage, destruction and exhaustion of passport pages among other reasons, and sequel to her application for renewal, the Service issued passport number B51450551 to Mrs. Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac on February 15, 2025,’ the statement said.
The Service further clarified that the issuance of the new passport automatically rendered the previous passport invalid.
‘It is important for the public to know, that the issuance of Passport No. B51450551 to Mrs. Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac on February 15, 2025, automatically voided and invalidated Passport No. B00485650,’ it said.
The NIS said that, at the time the new passport was issued, it had not received any court order restricting Godwin-Isaac from obtaining a passport or travelling outside Nigeria.
It said the development was significant because Godwin-Isaac was not arraigned before the Federal High Court until June 18, 2025, approximately four months after the issuance of the new passport.
According to the Service, Godwin-Isaac was arraigned before Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge Nos. FHC/ABJ/CR/76/2025 and FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025.
The NIS said the court subsequently made an order requiring her to deposit her passport, but that the order was made about four months after the issuance of Passport No. B51450551.