Nigeria Immigration Deploys Passport Intervention Team to UK to Clear Application Backlog

The Nigeria Immigration Service has sent a dedicated team to the United Kingdom to process pending, new, and renewal passport applications for Nigerians in the diaspora, with operations beginning August 10, 2026.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has deployed a dedicated Passport Intervention Team to the United Kingdom to ease and streamline passport applications for Nigerians living in the diaspora. The initiative, directed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is part of ongoing efforts to address the challenges Nigerians abroad face in obtaining or renewing their travel documents. The intervention team, comprising personnel from the NIS headquarters in Abuja, arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday, August 10, 2026. The team will work in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission to facilitate the processing and issuance of pending, new, and renewal passport applications. This deployment follows recent complaints from Nigerians in the UK about delays in passport processing and poor communication at the High Commission, concerns the NIS had earlier addressed by highlighting the availability of its digital platforms.

As part of the exercise, the intervention team will visit designated cities across the United Kingdom to conduct passport enrolment and processing. This approach is designed to bring services closer to eligible applicants in different parts of the country, reducing the burden of travelling long distances to a central location. The intervention is open to three categories of applicants: applicants with pending passport applications who are waiting for processing; new applicants applying for a Nigerian passport for the first time; and holders of passports with less than one year remaining before expiry who wish to apply for renewal. During enrolment, applicants are required to present their completed application forms and proof of payment.

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The NIS has urged Nigerians in the UK not to proceed to any location until the detailed schedule, including designated cities, dates, venues, and enrolment times, has been officially communicated. “Applicants are therefore advised not to proceed to any location until the relevant schedule has been officially communicated and to monitor the official communication channels of the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom for further details,” the NIS stated. The NIS also advised applicants to rely only on information released through authorised government platforms.

The NIS has clarified that all its digital passport application channels, including the Contactless Passport Application System, will remain fully operational throughout the intervention. The Contactless Passport Application System, which was launched in the UK in February 2025, allows eligible Nigerians to renew their passports without visiting a centre for biometric enrolment through the NIS Mobile application. The home delivery service for passports will also continue to be available to applicants. This digital system has been particularly valuable following the introduction of the NIS Mobile app, which addressed the challenge of securing appointments for biometric enrolment at the High Commission. The app has undergone several upgrades based on user feedback, and the NIS has confirmed that previous technical glitches have been resolved.

For enquiries or complaints regarding the UK intervention, applicants can contact the NIS through the following channels: email at passport.london@immigration.gov.ng or the WhatsApp-only line at +234 916 087 8000. The NIS reaffirmed its commitment to providing efficient, transparent and responsive passport services to Nigerians both at home and abroad.

Nigeria Immigration Deploys Passport Intervention Team to UK to Clear Application Backlog

Italy-Based Businessman Excretes 98 Wraps of Cocaine at Enugu Airport

In a major breakthrough, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, after he excreted 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms while attempting to board a flight to Europe. The suspect, Joseph Cyril, was nabbed on August 2, 2026, at the departure hall of the Enugu airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930, which was en route to Italy via Addis Ababa and France. According to a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, Cyril was immediately placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled all 98 pellets of the banned substance. The total weight of the recovered cocaine was put at 1.510 kilograms. Investigations revealed that Cyril had arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13, 2026, and ingested the drug at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before proceeding to Enugu to catch his return flight to Europe on August 2.

In his confessional statement, the suspect disclosed that he had been running a legitimate business in Italy for several years before agreeing to traffic the cocaine consignment. He claimed he accepted the task in exchange for €3,500 (about ₦5.8 million) to help him raise funds to relocate to Germany, where his immediate family is based. The NDLEA noted that the arrest is part of the agency’s intensified efforts to curb drug trafficking through Nigerian airports and land borders.

Beyond the Enugu operation, the NDLEA recorded several other significant seizures across the country within the same period, demonstrating the widespread nature of the agency’s crackdown. In Lagos, operatives thwarted attempts by trafficking syndicates to export 1.2 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside 25 pieces of phone chargers destined for Saudi Arabia through a courier company. In a similar operation, officers intercepted 500 grams of cocaine hidden in the false bottom of a backpack that was being shipped to Italy via another logistics firm on August 3, 2026. Also in Lagos, a consignment containing 2.3 kilograms of Loud — a potent synthetic strain of cannabis — originating from the United States, was seized at a shipping company on August 4, 2026.

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At the Tincan Port complex, a joint examination involving NDLEA officers, Customs officials, and other security agencies uncovered 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cookies and gummies infused with cannabis. The total weight of the seized edibles was 309.4 kilograms, and a suspect, Larry Nnaji, has been arrested in connection with the shipment. Following this discovery, the NDLEA issued a public health alert, warning parents and guardians to monitor what children consume, as traffickers increasingly disguise illicit substances as ordinary snacks.

In Ondo State, on August 4, NDLEA patrol teams along the Akure-Ilesha expressway intercepted a truck heading to northern Nigeria with 1,633 kilograms of skunk (a strong strain of cannabis) cleverly concealed in bags of rice chaff. Two suspects — Buba Jamilu and Sanusi Ibrahim — were arrested in connection with that seizure. Additionally, a raid at Ita Ogbolu forest on August 3 led to the recovery of 147 kilograms of skunk, further crippling trafficking networks in the region.

In Oyo State, acting on credible intelligence, operatives raided a drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire Local Government Area, on August 3, recovering 731.03 kilograms of cannabis. One suspect, Felicia Thompson, was arrested, while her accomplice, Thompson Vincent Nwaka, remains at large as authorities continue their manhunt. Meanwhile, in Edo State on August 5, NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers raided a storage facility at Ewe Luleha in Owan West Local Government Area, recovering 65 jumbo bags of skunk weighing a total of 604.5 kilograms.

In Abia State, operatives arrested Chibuike Charles, 31, a drug joint operator, during a raid at his base in Osisioma Local Government Area on August 6, seizing about 7 kilograms of skunk from his premises. In Lagos, a notorious and wanted drug dealer, Adome Claude Sikuru, was arrested on August 8 at the Fibre Market drug jungle in Badagry after a three-month manhunt. Officers recovered 88.5 kilograms of skunk from him, marking a significant victory in the agency’s efforts to dismantle drug hideouts in the city.

Commending the officers and men of the DOGI, AIIA, Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Abia, Seme, and Tincan Commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd) , praised their professionalism and dedication. He urged all personnel to sustain the balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement, public education, and rehabilitation, while vowing to intensify the fight against illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria.

Italy-Based Businessman Excretes 98 Wraps of Cocaine at Enugu Airport

Police Arrest Five Pakistani Nationals in Benue, Recover 35 Mobile Phones 

The Benue State Police Command has arrested five Pakistani nationals and recovered 35 mobile phones in separate intelligence-led operations conducted in Otukpo and Ugbokolo areas of the state . According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested three Pakistani nationals on August 4, 2026, at Adoka Motor Park in Otukpo Local Government Area . The suspects were identified as Younas Mohammad, 36; Ahmad Nunil, 38; and Aslam Muhammad, 46. They were intercepted while attempting to board a vehicle to Adoka village . During preliminary questioning, the suspects claimed they were in Otukpo to market cosmetics and mobile gadgets. However, police noted that none of the items they claimed to be selling was found in their possession, raising questions about their activities and movements in the area .

In a separate operation on August 5, 2026, police arrested two other Pakistani nationals, Juma Sharif, 30, and Muhammed Sharif, 25, at a local hotel in Ugbokolo following credible intelligence . The two suspects reportedly told investigators they were dealers in Android phones. A search of their belongings led to the recovery of 11 Tecno Camon 50 Pro mobile phones . Further investigation and operational follow-up resulted in the recovery of an additional 23 Tecno Camon 50 Pro phones and one Infinix Hot 60 phone, bringing the total number of recovered mobile devices to 35 .

The police disclosed that the five suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Makurdi, where discreet and comprehensive investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding their presence, activities, and movements within the state . The Command stated that it strongly suspects the possession of the mobile phones is a decoy for clandestine activities in the rural areas of the state, noting that this is even more probable as the suspects have limited proficiency in speaking or understanding English . The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the officers involved in the operations and members of the public whose timely information contributed to the arrests . He further urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities to the Police, pledging that the Command will continue to work with relevant stakeholders and members of the public to maintain peace and security across Benue State . The Command reassured the public that the operations form part of its proactive, intelligence-led policing strategy aimed at identifying potential security threats, preventing criminal activities, and safeguarding lives and property across the state .

Police Arrest Five Pakistani Nationals in Benue, Recover 35 Mobile Phones