The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has revealed how a Ugandan woman was arrested at Lagos Airport after allegedly paying $1,000 to illegally obtain a Nigerian international passport.

Tunji-Ojo disclosed during the Ministry of Interior’s mid-tenure performance retreat in Abuja on Thursday. He said the case reflects the level of fraud and abuse that plagued Nigeria’s passport system before the recent reforms.

“A Ugandan woman carrying a Nigerian passport was arrested at Lagos Airport after paying $1,000 to procure it. That cannot continue. Our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity,” the minister said.

According to him, the fraudulent practice thrived because of weak oversight, decentralised approvals, and corruption within the process. In the past, some Passport Control Officers (PCOs) allegedly delayed or withheld approvals unless they were “settled.”

To curb such abuses, the federal government has now removed approval powers from PCOs, centralised the system, and tightened monitoring to reduce human interference.

The minister’s comments came as the government announced a new upward review of passport fees effective September 1, 2025. Under the new structure, a 32-page, five-year passport will cost ₦100,000, while a 64-page, 10-year passport will cost ₦200,000 for applicants within Nigeria.

Tunji-Ojo stressed that the reforms are designed to restore integrity to the passport system and ensure the document remains a genuine symbol of Nigerian citizenship.