The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced plans to establish a centralised system for the authentication and verification of all travel documents in Nigeria.

He made this known during a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday with the United Kingdom’s Minister of State, David Hanson.

In the company of Hanson were delegates from the UK Home Office, National Crime Agency, and the British High Commission.

According to Tunji-Ojo, the initiative aims to tackle immigration and document fraud, particularly those associated with border control.

“We discovered that one of the key drivers of rising document fraud is the absence of a centralised, real-time verification system,” he said.

“Currently, if someone submits 20 documents, you may need to contact 20 different issuing agencies to verify them. That breeds inefficiency.”

He explained that the proposed system would allow real-time verification of all documents—such as bank statements, passports, and certificates—at a single centre.

The minister also said Nigeria was ready to take the lead in formulating a regional strategy for border control, noting that regional differences required customised approaches.

“To tackle a heterogeneous problem with a homogeneous approach will not work,” Tunji-Ojo stated.

“That’s why we’re planning a regional border conference to allow for the development of unified yet adaptable strategies to combat migration and border-related challenges.”

He further disclosed that Nigeria’s EU visa solution platform would go live on May 1.

According to him, this will allow for more efficient processing and international cooperation while safeguarding national security and promoting investment.

“We now have a policy that ensures a response—approval or rejection—within 24 to 48 hours of applying for an EU visa,” he said.

Speaking on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the administration’s commitment to preventing corruption rather than merely reacting to it.

“Our performance will be judged not by the number of convictions or recoveries but by how many crimes or frauds we prevent,” he said.

In his remarks, Hanson expressed the UK’s readiness to continue collaborating with Nigeria to improve criminal justice outcomes.

Hanson noted that the UK was reviewing its e-visa system and migration policies while exploring ways to expand trade, business, and skills development opportunities with Nigeria.

“My colleagues at the High Commission are eager to maintain strong engagement with the Nigerian government,” he said

According to him, the UK looks forward to enhancing cooperation in tackling crime and fraud.

“You can rest assured that the National Crime Agency, the High Commission, and the Home Office are ready to extend a hand of partnership,” he said.

….Says Atiku on his way out of PDP
…It was against my people’s will

Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has revealed that ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar is preparing to leave the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Recall that, Atiku was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, with Okowa as his running mate.

On March 20, 2023, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, a former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and others jointly announced the creation of a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.

The move has sparked ongoing discussions about the potential for a united opposition, with political leaders expressing varied opinions.

Speaking on Arise News on Tuesday, Okowa—who officially joined the All Progressives Congress on Monday—expressed regret for not aligning with his people in supporting a southern candidate in 2023 instead of accepting the role as Atiku’s running mate. He said, “Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power.

“But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party, and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people.”

He added that the election of the current Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, proves that the people still have confidence in their leadership.

Okowa added, “That showed the people still believed in us, believed in me. They said you’ve done well, and we will support the governor you have chosen. And they did.”

When asked about his communication with Atiku before leaving the PDP, Okowa responded, “I actually did communicate with him that we were going to have stakeholders meetings this week (in the last week) and that it was going to be a leadership meeting and the outcome of that meeting was going to determine our next path because we were no longer comfortable with the PDP.

“And I also know that he is already heading out of the PDP from the communications he has passed on to me, and that Nigerians know already.”

A general court-martial (GCM) in Enugu state has sentenced Adamu Mohammed, a soldier, to death by hanging for killing Hauwa Ali, his girlfriend.

A statement on Tuesday by Jonah Unuakhalu, acting deputy director of 82 division, said the court also sentenced Abubakar Yusuf to 10 years imprisonment for robbing a mall in Enugu.

Delivering the judgment, Sadisu Buhari, president of the 11-member GCM sitting at the 82 division of the Nigerian Army, said Mohammed was found guilty of murder under section 106 (a) of the Armed Forces Act of 2004.

Buhari noted that that the judgement was handed down after a “careful” review of the soldier’s record, his compassionate plea for mitigation and in the interest of justice for the deceased.

“Given this, the GCM has determined that the accused soldier, 21NA/80/6365 Private Adamu Mohammed, is hereby sentenced to death by hanging for the charge of murder,” Buhari said.

He said the panel also found Yusuf guilty of robbery, punishable under Section 107(1)(b) of the Armed Forces Act of 2004.

The GCM president added that the court considered the plea presented by the accused and his counsel for leniency, and applied the judgement to uphold societal decorum and protect the reputation of the army.

“However, due to the inability of the GCM to reach a unanimous decision required to impose the maximum mandatory punishment prescribed under Section 107(2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 LFN 2004, the GCM, relying on the provisions of Section 140 (3) of the Armed Forces Act, hereby sentences the accused soldier, 23NA/85/12116 Private Abubakar Yusuf, to 10 years imprisonment,” he added.

Buhari reassured the public of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.

He noted that the findings and sentences pronounced for both soldiers are subject to confirmation by the “appropriate authority”.