The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced an upward review in the cost of obtaining the Nigerian Standard Passport, which will take effect from September 1, 2025.

In a statement released on Thursday by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI AS Akinlabi, the agency clarified that the new charges will apply solely to applications processed within Nigeria.

According to the NIS, the decision to adjust the fees was made to maintain the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Passport.

Under the new pricing structure, a 32-page passport with a five-year validity period will now cost N100,000, while a 64-page passport with a 10-year validity will be priced at N200,000.

“The review which only affect Passport Application fees made in Nigeria, now set a new fee thresholds for 32-page with 5-year validity at N100,000 and 64-page with 10-year validity at N200,000,” the statement read.

“Meanwhile, Nigerian Passport Application fees made by Nigerians in diaspora remain unchanged at $150 for 32-page with 5-year validity and $230 for 64-page with 10-year validity.”

The NIS reaffirmed its commitment to providing efficient service delivery while ensuring that Passport services remain accessible to Nigerians both at home and abroad.

Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has threatened legal action against rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju over what he described as a series of defamatory statements published on social media.

In a formal demand letter issued by his legal representatives, Ejesimen & Co Madiba Chambers, Obi accused Adeyanju of deliberately damaging his reputation with false allegations. The letter, seen by journalists, gave Adeyanju notice to retract his posts and issue an apology or face a defamation suit in court.

What Deji Adeyanju Said That Triggered The Suit

The demand notice referenced Adeyanju’s repeated criticisms of Obi over the years, including an earlier account in which the activist alleged Obi once attempted to buy his loyalty after a private meeting.

“He tried to give me money and called it thank you for coming, it’s 100% true,” Adeyanju had claimed in a post on X, suggesting that Obi’s gesture was an attempt to compromise him.

More recently, on August 21, Adeyanju accused Obi of misusing public resources during his tenure as governor by allegedly investing Anambra State funds into a company linked to his family. This post, the lawyers argued, formed part of a deliberate smear campaign against Obi’s public image.

The Dispute Over Serah Ibrahim And Adeyanju’s Wife

The latest clash escalated after Adeyanju sued Obi’s female aide, Serah Ibrahim, accusing her of making defamatory remarks about his wife. According to Adeyanju, Ibrahim had described his wife as an “OnlyFans hoe” and published “unprintable things” after he criticised Obi online.

“We served his little errand girl, Serah, a letter to retract all her defamatory publications on Monday against my wife, and she ran to the leader of the mob for help,” Adeyanju said. “Obi cannot save her, and I am ready for him in court 100%.”

Ibrahim, however, denied calling Mrs Adeyanju a prostitute. “I only said she constantly posts pics of butt, the kind you’d typically see on OnlyFans wannabe,” she clarified. “I didn’t say she’s a whore. But if he wants to call his wife a whore, who am I to disagree?”

Adeyanju’s Mocking Response To Obi’s Demand Notice

Rather than retreating, Adeyanju openly mocked Obi’s legal threat in a Facebook post.
“Just got this letter from Peter Obi, the religious bigot, demanding a retraction from me. I laughed so hard. I can’t wait to meet him in court finally. A fraud parading himself as a messiah,” he wrote.

The activist went further to argue that Obi’s legal step indirectly confirmed that his aides were behind defamatory attacks against opponents online. “It proves what we have always suspected; he is the one sending them to defame people online because they are his aides,” Adeyanju claimed.

Obi’s Lawyers’ Position And Demands

In their letter, Obi’s lawyers demanded Adeyanju publish a public retraction of his statements across the same platforms where he allegedly defamed Obi. They also asked for an unreserved apology, warning that failure to comply would result in immediate court proceedings.

The legal team emphasized that Obi’s reputation as a national political figure was at stake, and the activist’s persistent remarks were aimed at discrediting his image before Nigerians.

Adeyanju, a long-time critic of Obi, has consistently dismissed the Labour Party leader’s political ambition, insisting he will never become Nigeria’s president. He has also been in frequent clashes with Obi’s supporters, popularly known as Obidients, accusing them of intolerance and coordinated online attacks.

The ongoing legal tussle now extends that rivalry into the courtroom, potentially setting up a high-profile defamation case between one of Nigeria’s most vocal activists and a leading opposition figure.

President Bola Tinubu arrived back in Abuja on Thursday after concluding diplomatic engagements in Japan and Brazil.

In a statement released by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, it was disclosed that the presidential jet departed Brasília International Airport Air Force Base at 12:57 pm (local time) on Wednesday and touched down in Abuja early Thursday morning.

During his time in Japan, Tinubu participated in the opening ceremony and plenary of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) on August 20. He also held bilateral meetings and wrapped up his visit with an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community.

After TICAD9, the President departed Yokohama with a stopover in Los Angeles before heading to Brasília, Brazil.

While in Brazil, Tinubu met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and senior officials. Both leaders held private discussions and presided over the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding covering aviation, foreign affairs, science and technology, and agriculture sectors central to Nigeria’s growth agenda.

On his return to Nigeria, the President was received by a delegation of dignitaries and government officials.

A coalition of Niger Delta youth leaders on Wednesday blocked the entrance of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Towers in Abuja, demanding the resignation of the Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, over alleged corruption and mismanagement.

The protesters also insisted that the next head of the oil company should come from the Niger Delta region.

Arriving at the facility as early as 6 a.m., the youths mounted barricades at the entry and exit points of the NNPCL headquarters, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards. Music blared from loudspeakers mounted on a truck parked near the building, creating heavy disruption in the area.

The protest caused gridlock along Herbert Macaulay Way in the Central Business District, forcing commuters and workers to seek alternative routes. Security personnel, including police officers, were deployed to the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order. They diverted traffic to a single lane and appealed to the protesters to remain peaceful.

Following intervention from a representative of the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the demonstrators later left the highway and moved towards the exit gate of the towers, allowing traffic to flow more freely.

Despite the disruption, the demonstration remained peaceful.

The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Oloyede, has been sentenced to 56 months in prison in the United States for his role in a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud.

Oloyede, 62, who holds both Nigerian and U.S. citizenship and resides in Medina, Ohio, was convicted on August 26 by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko. Alongside the jail term, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay restitution of $4,408,543.38, and forfeit assets, including his Medina home and nearly $100,000 seized during the investigation.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Oloyede spearheaded a conspiracy with Edward Oluwasanmi to exploit federal loan programmes designed to support struggling businesses during the pandemic.

Between April 2020 and February 2022, the duo submitted numerous fraudulent applications under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act through the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA). In April this year, both men pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax fraud.

Court filings revealed that Oloyede, who also worked as a tax preparer, used multiple business entities—including five companies and a nonprofit—to secure fraudulent loans worth about $1.7 million. His partner, Oluwasanmi, used three business entities to obtain approximately $1.2 million.

The fraud extended beyond their own companies. Prosecutors said Oloyede also submitted fake applications on behalf of some of his tax clients, collecting between 15 and 20 percent of the loans as kickbacks, which he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service.

Investigators found that the monarch spent some of the illicit funds on land acquisition, building a residence, and purchasing a luxury vehicle. In total, Oloyede was linked to 38 fraudulent loan applications amounting to over $4.2 million.

Oluwasanmi, 62, of Willoughby, was earlier sentenced in July to 27 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution, forfeit a commercial property bought with fraud proceeds, and relinquish over $600,000 held in bank accounts.

The case was jointly investigated by the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, the FBI Cleveland Division, and IRS-Criminal Investigations, under the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Fraud Task Force.

Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and James L. Morford for the Northern District of Ohio.