The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ), Brig-Gen. Zakari Kazaure, said on Tuesday that to travelling out of camp or places of primary assignment without obtaining permission remained remained an offence.
Kazaure spoke at the Ekiti State Permanent Orientation Camp, situated in Ise/Emure, in Ise/Orun local government area of Ekiti.
He was on a visit to educate corp members on dangers inherent in playing with their health and security.
According to him, the standing rule of the agency is being repeatedly ignored in a manner that suggested that authorities had abdicated their roles of looking after the well-being as well as the welfare of the corp members.
“You all have to avoid night journeys and other unnecessary journeys for that matter
” Remember that before you embark on any journey, the need arises that you first inform your immediate supervisors and obtain necessary permits
“A graduate is expected by the society to be above board. I, therefore, want you to please join hands with me to ensure that the tragic incident in Taraba is the very last of such.”
Kazaure, who arrived in the Ekiti state camp at about 4.45p.m expresssed deep regrets over the tragic death of nine corp members in Taraba State during the weekend, describing it as a huge loss to him personally, and the nation in general.
NAN reports that the director-general who himself claimed to have undergone the NYSC mandatory programme, over 30 years ago, said the sad incident was highly regretted and called for a minute silence to honour those who lost their lives.
According to him, there is also the need for corps members to respect the culture and tradition of their host communities.
Kazaure said that any corps member in the coiuntry was free to call his personal number on 07042542779, in case of any emergency that the felt their immediate supervisors could not handle.
He warned them, particularly the females, to avoid dressing irresponsibly and also pway from sharp practices such as engaging in Iinternet fraud among others.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the new State Director, Mrs. Aniefiok Okpongete, told the director-general that a total of 1,809 Corps members were currently registered, comprising 1,109 males and 700 females.
However, she said that a total of 187, among them, 149 females and 38 males had been advised to leave camp on account of being either pregnant, nursing mothers or facing critical health challenges.
The National Youth Service Corp ( NYSC ) says 95 per cent of deaths recorded by serving Corps members is due to road accidents.
Brig. Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, the Director General of NYSC, said this while addressing corps members observing their orientation camp course in Katsina on Monday.
“Several serving corps members have been embarking on unnecessary journeys that led to their death.
“From the records before the Directorate, several corps members have lost their lives, while on fruitless journeys.
“Several serving corps members had been involved in road accidents due to the poor nature of Nigerian roads.
“For several years, Nigerian roads are death traps and corps members should only embark on necessary journeys.
“I am calling on serving corps members that have concrete reason to travel to always seek the permission of NYSC officials,’’ he said.
Kazaure called on serving corps members to always patronise government hospitals if they were sick.
Earlier, the Katsina State NYSC Coordinator, Hajiya Ramatu Sanda, had called on the NYSC management to provide more vehicles to Katsina State office.
Sanda said that so far, 2, 076 corps members had registered for their orientation in the state and advised them to participate activity in all the orientation programmes.
She commended the Katsina Government for proving lots of assistance to the state NYSC.
Nine corps members serving in Gashaka local government area of Taraba state drowned at a river while on picnic in Taraba State.
Police said seven bodies were recovered yesterday, 24 houra after the accident. Two more were yet to be reovered.
Gashaka is near the Mambilla Plateau.
It was leaent that the sudden increase in the volume of water in River Mayo Celbe, Taraba was responsible for the drowning of nine corps members who were swimming during a picnic party, the police said.
Police Spokesman David Missal said: “Information available to our disposal reveals that 22 Youth Corps members serving in the state were on a picnic party in River Mayo-Selbe in Gashaka LGA on Saturday when the incident happened.
“We were made to understand that while they were swimming, there was a sudden increase in the volume of water which carried nine of them away.
“We have so far recovered Seven corpses while the search for the two remaining corpses is still in progress,” he said.
State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Florence Yaakugh also confirmed the incident.
Yaakugh said that the seven bodies have been recovered while the search for the other two bodies was still ongoing by the locals in collaboration with security agencies and the NYSC.
While describing the incident as most regrettable and unfortunate, Yaakugh said that the NYSC would soon have the identity of all the Corps members involved and make such known appropriately.
“We have information indicating that about nine of our Corps members were drowned in Gashaka on Saturday.
“So far, seven bodies have been recovered and we are working with other relevant persons to recover the rest and to identify the persons.
“This is a very sad development and the entire NYSC family in Taraba state is already thrown into deep mourning”, she said.
The Director General, National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ), Brig. Gen. Sule Zakari Kazaura, on Monday, assured corps members serving in Anambra State of adequate security ahead of next year’s general elections.
He said the Scheme was liaising with all security agencies in the state to guarantee maximum security of the corps members.
Kazaura who gave the assurance at the orientation camp in Umunya, Oyi local government area of the state, said the organization was also working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure corps members carry out the national assignment unhindered.
“We are in touch with all the relevant security agencies to ensure corps members’ security is guaranteed. We’re also in an MOU with INEC. With these, I don’t envisage any problems,” he assured.
Kazaura who was in the state for inspection of camp facilities, expressed satisfaction with the sanitary conditions of the facilities, however said trip to the state was also to meet with the government over the speedy completion of the permanent orientation camp.
He noted that the post-service skill acquisition training which had posed a challenge to the scheme, would soon be history with the establishment of skill acquisition centres across the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Underscoring the place of security consciousness and decent dressing among the corps members, particularly the female folks, the DG charged them to avoid unnecessary trips and to respect the culture and tradition of their host communities.
Earlier, the State coordinator, Aremu Kehinde, expressed optimism that the corps members would tap into the entrepreneurial spirit the average citizen of the state was known for to become self reliant after service.
No member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), serving in Plateau would be posted to crises-ridden areas, Mr Abdulsalam Alhassan, the state’s coordinator, has said.
Alhassan told newsmen on Monday in Mangu that the measure became necessary to ensure that no corps member became a victim of attacks on rural communities.
“In our bid to protect the corps members, we have resolved that no one will be posted to volatile areas.
“We have also resolved that corps members will only be posted to local governments considered safe and reachable.
“We are working closely with the Department of State Security Service; we have requested clarifications in respect of areas considered safe ahead of the postings after the ongoing orientation exercise,” he said.
He said that most of the postings would be restricted to local government headquarters to ease access to corps members, if the need arose.
“Aside volatile areas, we shall not post corps members to villages that are not accessible because we need to keep in constant touch with them throughout the service year,” he said.
He said that corps members serving in Bokkos, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu, Riyom and parts of Jos South Local Governments were evacuated to safety during the various attacks that hit those areas in June.
“We later deployed the corps members to areas considered safer,” he said.
Alhassan said that NYSC was collaborating with various security agencies to keep constant surveillance on corps members’ lodges across the state.
The coordinator assured parents and guidance, whose children and wards are serving in Plateau, of the safety of the corps members, and thanked the state government for the steady support in that regard.
About 2,364 Batch ‘B’ stream I corps members posted to Anambra state for their national service, on Friday made good their ‘under the rain’ pledge, as they took oath of allegiance amidst rain at the orientation camp, Umunya, Oyi local government area of the state.
The NYSC members, comprising of 1376 females and 988 males, filed out as early as 9am in readiness for the swearing-in ceremony, defying the rain which had persisted in the state for three consecutive days.
The State Coordinator, Aremu Kehinde, said the patriotism and resilience demonstrated by the corp members since they reported to camp was a clear testimony that the NYSC anthem recited each day was not mere lip service.
He said he was not surprised at the way they stayed put as the rain came in course of the occasion.
“As soon as they reported to camp, they started learning the NYSC anthem as well as that of the state and the nation. You know one of the lines of our anthem is ‘building our nation high under the sun or in the rain’.
“Since it’s what they’ve decided to do, it was not surprising that they didn’t run from the rain when it started,” he said.
The Coordinator also expressed optimism that majority of the corps would not seek redeployment after the orientation course in view of the level of security and job opportunities existing in the state.
“Those factors that drive corps members away, including lack of security, infrastructures and opportunities are very much present here.
“I believe 95% of the corps members would not only stay back for their primary assignment, but would even decide to work here after their service,” he added.
Earlier, the governor of the state, Willie Obiano had assured the corps members of enabling environment to maximize their potentials of self-realization and self-sufficiency.
Obiano who was represented by the commissioner for Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy, Bonadventure Enemali, urged them to take advantage of the training to equip themselves for job creation
DIRECTOR General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig. Gen Suleiman Kazaure has urged corp members to take serious the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to make them self-reliant after service.
Gen. Kazaure spoke shortly after the swearing in of 2,808 Batch, ‘B’ Stream 2, corps members at the NYSC orientation camp, in Nonwa/Gbam, Tai Local Government of Rivers State.
He said: “Take your skill acquisition (SAED) seriously, it is no longer news that white-collar jobs are hard to get so I want you all my able children to pay attention to SAED programme in order to empower yourselves on the necessary skills available, this which I know will surely help you throughout your life.
‘’And if at all you get your white-collar jobs that’s fine you can also use the skills you have learnt to create another financial source but what I don’t want is for you all to be roaming from one office to another looking for a job that is not there’’.
He also urged the youths to shun sharp practices, hard drugs and other vices that is capable of destroying their future and dreams but instead work hard and ensure the contribute favourably towards the growth of the nation and the economy.
‘’I would also advise you to shun sharp practices, cyber-crimes, drugs. There is no shortcut to success I was once like you before, now look at my position there is nothing impossible, you can also become NYSC-DG, senator, president and so on.”
Governor Nyesom Wike lambasted chiefs and residents on the alleged vandalisation of the armoured cable supplying power to the camp by criminals.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kenneth Kobani, an indigene, Wike urged traditional rulers to fish out and handover the hoodlums to the police for prosecution.
He approved a power generating set for the comfort of youths at the camp.
‘’Our attention has been drawn to some of the activities of miscreants from our hosts communities who have vandalised electric cables to the extent that the camp has been battling power breakdown for months, his excellency has directed that those hosts communities who failed to look after assets of government will be punished because we are not going to accept anymore that our boys and girls will come and suffer in darkness.
‘’I am making this statement so that the chiefs and elders of the communities who are here to understand that government will no longer tolerate some of this thing that are going on, if you don’t catch and bring those boys to us we will penalize you.
‘’Let me also inform you that approval has been given to buy 100KVA generating plant by the state. As I go back to Port Harcourt, I will continue to remind him so that he can release the funds and we will make sure a befitting hall is built for the camp too.” he promised.
Ebonyi state Governor, David Umahi on Thursday assured corps members posted to the state of adequate security throughout their service year while charging them to ensure that the aims of setting up the service, which is national unity and integration, is attained.
He gave the charge during the swearing ceremony of the National Youth Service Corps 2018 Batch B corps members at the Old Macgregor Secondary School permanent orientation camp in Afikpo North local government area of the state.
The Governor further charged the corps members to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors who he noted have served the state so diligently and contributed in its development especially in the areas of heath, education and agriculture.
Represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Charles Akpuenika, Mr Umahi said the state government has approved the sum of N1m for the four best performing Cops members in the last graduating batch.
He also revealed that his administration has mapped out 50 hectares of land to be given to the NYSC in the state to use for mechanised farming.
He said these will enable the corps members and staff of NYSC to key into the administrations agricultural programme especially in rice production and by so doing give the corps members knowledge of the agricultural sector s that when they are through they can go into agriculture full time rather than waiting for non-existent white collar jobs.
Mr Umahi also said the state government will deploy tech savvy corps members to train the youths of the state so as to improve the ICT capacity of the youths of the state.
The State Coordinator of the Service, Mrs Ann Ngozika Ibe charged the corpse members to use the service year to promote peace, unity and integration of the country.
“Let me make it clear to you that the attainment of the much-needed unity and integration of the country Nigeria, rests squarely on the shoulders of the educated youths like you who are the beacon of a bright and prosperous futre for all Nigerians”.
“Be informed too that the nation’s quest to deepen the foundation of her democracy, good governance and the restoration of our cherished positive societal values are in your hands as the successor generation. In view of the foregoing, you must play an active role in ensuring that the nation remains indivisible and indissoluble by emphasizing the merits in our togetherness and unity as Nigerians more than anything else”, she said.
The state Chief Judge, Justice Alloy Nwankwo represented by Justice benson Ogbu later swore in the 2200 new members into the Service Corps.
Of the number, 1211 are men while 989 are females and were drawn from all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
Public examinations in the country are being plagued by malpractices of various hues. In this report, Shehu Olayinka goes behind the headlines to expose the tactics of the fraudsters
ON April 23, 2018, a certain Mrs Bamidele Olateju, on her Facebook page wrote: “Let’s shutdown these websites”. The websites she was referring to were those which had allegedly posted on their sites questions and answers to the then ongoing West Africa Examinations Council School Certificate Exams (WASCE).
The websites include: Naijaclass.com, Examcrown.com, Exponet.com, examsort.com, Gurus.com, examloaded.com. However, further scouring of other websites by our reporter revealed that these were not the only culpable ones. Others include examwide.com, easyrunz.com, waecexpo.com, examclass.net, realbase.net, guruswapaz.com, codedclass.com, Jambito.com.
The mode of operation is not restricted to the social media platform alone. They use mobile phone text message, too.
In carrying out their activities, they use both payments through banks or exchange of recharge cards. For instance, to get ‘expo’ on nine subjects, interested students are told what to do. Those who want to receive the ‘expo’ by SMS are charged N6500, whilst Whatsapp is N5000 and to get a password link to log into the website open-ended is N3500, depending on the websites.
Patrons of Examcrown are charged N800 per subject for SMS/Direct. Payments are made through purchase of recharge cards. English Language, Mathematics, Further Maths go for N1000, while practicals are N600per subject.
Grid screenshots charges charged to patrons
In fact, Examcrown has mastered the techniques of marketing so as to get the attention of interested students. This is done through testimonies of success stories from successful candidates. These are principally done to sway students to enrol.
On all these websites mobile numbers are listed with instructions on how to contact them.
On a first visit to Examcrown website, visitors are met with a homepage notifying them of what to expect on the website: JAMB EXPO RUNZ, WAEC EXPO RUNZ, NECO EXPO RUNS, WAEC GCE RUNZ. This is followed by a phone number +2347032581573, for calls and messages.
Using the social media
Their preferred social media platform is Whatsapp. After perusing through some websites, it was discovered that Examcrown and Naijaclass (9jaclass) have the highest volume of traffic and activities than the others.
On April 24, when Examcrown was contacted on Whatsapp by the reporter for a chat, a terse response of “no time to talk, what do you want?” was all he got.
Preferred social media platform is Whatsapp
The reporter responded that he needed answers for NECO 2018 exam. He immediately got a response detailing prices, processes and how to apply. The reporter didn’t respond. On May13, perhaps after noticing the silence from the reporter’s end during the WAEC exam and sensing the reporter’s distrust, a boastful message was sent to him stating that the operators of the ring have stronger connections with NECO than WAEC!
The Whatsapp message reads, “The NECO exam answers will come earlier than WAEC. We have more people in NECO than WAEC and answers will be sent three to four hours before the start of NECO while WAEC is between one or two hours late on exam days, that won’t be repeated in NECO, we will be fast in sending our answers.”
It continued, “Our NECO runz (answers) is going to be the best. We have made contacts with our NECO officials for the question papers to be delivered on time, so as to make sure everything works perfectly.”
On May 25, Exacrown sent the specimens for Biology, Agric, Chemistry, Physics, and Animal husbandry Practicals.
True to their word, Theory and Objective questions for Government subject exam of May 31, was sent. Examcrown, sent the front page cover, with page 12 and 14 to the undercover reporter at 1:00pm, notifying him of having gotten the question and promising to send answers shortly. The paper was billed to start at 2:30pm – 4:40pm, according to the NECO timetable.
Grid Screenshots of leaked NECO questions
The front page cover of the Physics Practical to be held on June 5 at 10:00am was sent at 1:00am, which is nine hours before the examination began!
In the same vein, the front page of NECO Economics, which was meant to start at 2:30pm and end at 5:30pm was sent to the undercover reporter at 1:34am, a clear 14 hours before the examination!!
Chemistry Practical which was to be held on June 6 by 10:00am and end at 6:33am, was made available three hours 27 minutes before the start of the exam. This was followed by page 7, 6:35am, page 2 at 6:37am, page 3 at 6:43am and page 6 by 6:41am after sending the front cover, also with solved question answers snapped and sent at 8:24am.
Grid Screenshots of leaked NECO questions
Also another website operator observed and engaged was 9jaclass, which makes use of a Whatsapp business account to communicate with interested students.
Investigation of Naijaclass using Google map, discovered that it’s based around Gwarinpa General Hospital, Abuja and using a pseudo name of Avon Nicole to perpetrate the crime.
Its handlers location according to his leaked location is around the vicinity of Gwarinpa General Hospital, Abuja. It is a 13 min (9.7 km) drive via ShehuYar’adua Way to NECO Abuja office, Opposite National Gallery of Arts, Usman Street, District, Utako, Abuja, FCT, Mabushi, Abuja.
Leaked Map of Naijaclass handler location in Abuja. (google)
On June 6, 9jaclass was notified of the reporter’s intention of wanting answers to the English question paper. A one thousand naira recharge card was sent on that date for English Language Essay, Objectives and Test of Orals.
On June 6, Naijaclass at 6:06am replied through a text message to the reporter of the successful completion of his registration, after which on June 7, the answers to the questions were sent in a sequential order.
Further findings revealed that the Sim cards used by the perpetrators are always newly registered and have none of their data online, thereby making it hard for them to be traced.
Grid screenshots from their websites
The NYSC connection
Further findings revealed that some perpetrators have perfected means of connecting with the coordinators of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in local government areas. They use the corps members to ease the process of cheating in some of the schools.
According to a corps member who served in Kogi State in 2016, “The heads of schools (private and public) either Headmasters or Headmistress request for candidates, especially science teachers from NYSC. It should be noted that not all of those who request for these teachers use the corps members to perpetrate malpractices, but few are culpable,” he said.
He added, “Though sending of specialised teachers to some schools isn’t illegal, but where I will blame NYSC is the non-supervisory roles of the Service. Truth be told, we were categorically told before leaving camp not to engage in any form of malpractice, but we were not told on how to go about it if we were accosted or who to report to if the situation arose. What they do is to have NYSC members who are good, majorly in science subjects to help candidates out by either writing for them or writing on the board. All these, happening in connivance with the examination invigilators.”
The former corps member continued, “In my school, the proprietor was even writing for some students. You get people coming from different parts of the country to register here, because it is believed that it is a free-cheating area, far and secluded from the eyes of the examination body.
“Who would want to go and invigilate in rural areas without good access roads and security? For registration in these kinds of areas, you pay as high as N40,000. Some schools even go higher and people pay it because it is ‘guaranteed success’.”
Asked how much the school paid NYSC members who engaged in this act, our source said it depends on the school.
“The kind of pay you get depends on your school. Some pay as higher as N50,000 for the whole subjects, whilst some get below that depending on the number of people who register at the school.”
Another ex-corps member who served in one of the northern states also told our reporter of how schools use corps members to perpetrate malpractice.
“During my service year, I was approached to help with Chemistry and Physics. That’s what goes on in these schools, especially those far from the capital. It happens everywhere across the country, because I had friends informing me of the same thing happening in their places of primary assignments.”
Appearance and non-appearance
Another form of examination malpractice which is commonly used is known as “appearance and non-appearance” method.
This method is mostly used by those who are not students of a particular school or those who are in need of a clean sweep of subjects.
An ex-perpetrator of “non-appearance” examination, who sat in three external papers for candidates, said the process is one of the best ways of examination malpractice. The culprit, whose identity is shielded because of fear of victimisation from his former colleagues and employers said, “In Zaria (Kaduna State) where I am based, there is “appearance and non-appearance” arrangements. Each has its own method of payment. In the “appearance” method the candidate sits for the examination, but he does not in case of “non-appearance”. It works as the name connotes. Though, the “non-appearance” comes with a higher charge” he said.
“It goes for as high as N50,000 upwards for non-appearance, while appearance is not up to that amount. There is nothing serious in it, I sat three times for different candidates and it was successful,” he boasted.
“We usually do it in the office of the examination officer, with the full knowledge and approval of the principal in public schools and heads or directors in private schools. This is what is obtain able in almost all schools in Zaria; it is not something that’s hidden.
“During my examination year in 2006, in my hall, I saw someone with text-book who was allowed to write without being questioned, but a text-book was seized from another candidate in the same hall because he had not settled them,” he concluded.
While Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB) has in recent years been dealing with cases of examination malpractice, the introduction of Computer Based Test (CBT), has reduced drastically cases of examination malpractice in its exams held across the country.
Examcrown, Naijaclass and other perpetrators boast of also having answers for JAMB questions, though JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede in an interview with reporters in Benin City on May 29, 2018, admitted to some attempts by alleged hackers in trying to breach its systems, but refuted claims that the board’s security system was breached and examination leaked.
He said the examination body has put proactive measures in place to arrest anybody attempting to hack into its system.
“I have not found any case of a breakthrough. No matter how clever they think they are, we are ahead of them. One of the rea sons why I led a delegation here myself is to see whether there is any evidence of breakthrough. You can ask any of the security agencies handling the matter, they will tell you.
“We have not been able to find one case of success. What we are treating are attempts. And because we are proactive, that is why we are picking their attempts when people try to break into our BVN. They did not get any questions because our questions were not there. They were able to break into a decoy that we created and they were not able to do anything.”
Prof. Oloyede added: “That is why we keep on promising them that if you can get us one question of ours that is genuine, we will pay you a lot. So, because we believe that we must be proactive that is why we are dealing with any attempt and once an attempt is made, we do not leave it as an attempt, we go after them and when we go after them, we arrest them.”
NECO speaks, WAEC keeps mum
While NECO Head of Information and Public Relations, Alhaji Azeez Sani, admitted to the malaise in a telephone interview with this reporter, all effort to get management of WAEC’s reaction to the story proved abortive.
The reporter visited WAEC office in Yaba on June 25, 2018 to get an official reaction from it, but Demianus Ojijeogu, Head, Public Affairs, WAEC Nigeria, was said not to be around by a lady staff of the examination body.
However, when Ojijeogu was reached through his mobile number the next day, the reporter explained his mission to him. He was asked to send his questions to Ojijeogu’s official email. This was promptly done. But nine days after, he had still not replied to the reporter’s questions (up till the point of this publication).
On his part, the NECO PRO, Azeez said “If you go through the questions published online, you will notice it’s fake. What they normally do is to collate question papers that had been used before and post it on the internet for unsuspecting and gullible students who want easy way to success. We have been able to discover that. The way we dispatch our question papers it will be pretty difficult for anyone to say he or she has it before the commencement of the examination.”
He added that three years ago, some fraudsters hawking fake question papers were arrested by the police, insisting that most of the questions posted online were fake.
Azeez added, “It’s pertinent to note that the rate at which malpractice is being condoned in conducted examinations in Nigeria is alarming, shameful, embarrassing and an act that will surely meet us as nemesis in the future. Presently, companies are complaining of half-baked graduates. Surely they are all candidates and products of exam malpractices conducted in the past.”
While the police on June 1 paraded four arrested suspects for operating illegal websites and defrauding candidates sitting for the WAEC exams, nothing has been heard of the case while other perpetrators still continue with their nefarious business.
CSP Jimoh Moshood, the spokesman of the Police Headquarters, while parading the suspects in Abuja, said the suspects received N70,000; N90,000; N40,000 and N120,000 from people.
The suspects included; Chijoke Modestus, Samuel Onwurah, Patrick Nwodo and Okon Joseph who operated separate syndicates. They were arrested at different locations across the country.
Mooshod had said, “The suspects were arrested by police operatives following a petition from WAEC authorities. They had setup websites soliciting candidates sitting for the examination to pay money into their bank accounts, in exchange for the provision of worked solutions/answers to questions. They usually charged N400, for answers to subjects being taken on any particular day as the examination was in progress.”
He added that “They lured their victims by promising to send worked solutions and answers via WhatsApp at about 20 or 30 minutes after the commencement of each paper in the process they have fraudulently and dubiously dispossessed their unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money.”
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap to immediately reverse the recent hike in international passports fees.
SERAP described as “arbitrary, unlawful, unjustified, and excessive passport fees of between N100,000 and N200,000.”
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government, the Minister and Comptroller General to comply with our request in the public interest.”
The NIS last week announced that from September 1, 2025, applications made within Nigeria will attract new fees of N100,000 for the 32-page, five-year validity passport and N200,000 for the 64-page, 10-year validity passport.
The organisation noted that the unreasonable price increase came barely a year after a similar increase on September 1, 2024.
In the letter dated August 30, 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “the unlawfully high fees amount to a discriminatory denial of access to a passport to millions of socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians and unlawful restrictions of their other citizenship rights.”
SERAP said, “millions of disadvantaged Nigerians cannot realistically afford to pay the increased fees. These Nigerians should not be forced to spend their limited and grossly inadequate income to pay the increased fees instead of spending it on their basic living needs.”
According to SERAP, “The Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS ought to comply with the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations in the exercise of their constitutional and statutory duties.”
The letter further read in part: “The increased fees will hit hardest those at the bottom of the economy. The Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS have a legal responsibility to ensure an appropriate balance between the imposition of excessive passport fees on citizens and the safeguarding of citizens’ rights.
“Nigerians who cannot afford to pay the excessive fees would be denied the effective enjoyment of their citizenship rights conferred by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party.
“The unreasonable and disproportionate increase in passport fees is incompatible with the provisions of chapters 2 and 4 of the Nigerian Constitution covering fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy and fundamental rights.
“The excessive fees would also result in disproportionate financial burdens on poor Nigerians. The Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS failed to assess the effects of the excessive fees in light of the poor financial conditions of millions of Nigerians and the growing economic challenges in the country.
“The Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS acted unlawfully when they arbitrarily increased the passport fees. The Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS have rendered nugatory Nigerians’ fundamental rights by impermissibly and unlawfully increasing the passport fees.
“The unlawful increase in passport fees at a time the country is facing economic and financial crises would contribute further to the impoverishment of the population.
“The increased fees would also violate Nigerians’ right to travel or leave their country including the right to obtain the necessary travel documents. The Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS have failed to sufficiently justify the increased fees.
“The increase is discriminatory as it would undermine the effective enjoyment of citizens’ fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
“According to our information, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Thursday 28 August 2025 announced an upward review of Nigerian Standard Passport fees with effect from September 1, 2025.
“The NIS stated that in the new rates, applications made in Nigeria, which cost N50,000 for a 32-page booklet with five-year validity, will now cost N100,000 for the same page and validity period. It also stated that a 64-page passport booklet with 10 years validity will now cost N200,000 from N100,000.
“The increase in passport fees is set to take effect on September 1, 2025. SERAP notes that the NIS in September 2024 also increased the cost of a 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity from N35,000 to N50,000. It also increased the 64-page passport booklet with a 10-year validity from N70,000 to N100,000.” the organisation stated.
