Nigeria’s NIS passport scandal has intensified with claims that real estate developer Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac obtained a second passport despite court orders, sparking fresh calls for inquiry into systemic corruption
The Nigeria Immigration Service through senior officials, alongside real estate developer Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac also known as Hajiya Bilkisu Ishaku Aliyu, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission faced mounting scrutiny in Abuja on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, as fresh allegations emerged of the fraudulent issuance of a second Nigerian passport to the suspect while she stood trial for land fraud.
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Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac, Chief Executive Officer of Homadil Realty Limited, secured passport number B51450551 on February 15, 2025, from the Nigeria Immigration Service, just months after her original passport was confiscated by court order as a bail condition in her ongoing EFCC prosecution.
The new document, valid until February 14, 2035, reportedly enabled her to travel to Rwanda, Dubai, and London despite restrictions intended to prevent flight from justice.
Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court had explicitly ordered the confiscation of Godwin-Isaac’s passport in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025, filed by the EFCC over allegations of forging land documents, a Power of Attorney, and related corporate papers for properties in Guzape and Katampe districts of Abuja.
Prosecutors claim she and co-defendants, including her husband Isaac Yusuf Ishaku, defrauded victims of over N500 million between 2023 and 2024.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria Olumide Olujimi, in a petition dated June 10, 2026, to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service and copied to the Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, described the issuance as a brazen breach of the Immigration Act 2015.
The petition highlighted bypassed biometric checks, litigation alerts, and security protocols, alleging collusion with compromised officials.
Human rights lawyer Barrister Maxwell Opara, speaking at a press conference in Abuja on behalf of the Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse and Torture, echoed these concerns.
He called for a forensic audit, joint EFCC-NIS investigation, possible revocation of bail, and disciplinary action against any erring officers, framing the matter as a critical test for the rule of law.
Sources within the Nigeria Immigration Service have indicated that such practices of issuing fresh passports to individuals with seized documents have persisted for years, often involving influential figures facing criminal trials.
This latest case has amplified longstanding worries about vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s passport issuance system, despite recent reforms aimed at automation and reducing human interference.
The developments unfold against a backdrop of broader efforts by Nigerian authorities to strengthen border controls and combat corruption within security agencies.
Previous instances of passport-related controversies have underscored the need for tighter integration between judicial orders and immigration databases.
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Godwin-Isaac has maintained her innocence in the underlying land fraud matter, which continues before the Federal High Court.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
