Crime
Tinubu Orders ICPC Probe Into Alleged N1.3bn ‘Ghost Agency’, Gives 30-Day Deadline
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and submit its findings within 30 days.
The directive was conveyed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled “President Tinubu Orders ICPC to Investigate Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.”
According to the Presidency, the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal basis, presidential approval, executive instrument or any lawful authority to operate.
President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the alleged use of forged appointment letters and other official government documents by Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who presented himself as the Director-General of the council and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.
The investigation will also examine allegations that Adeyemi used the purported appointment to seek official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, and opened multiple bank accounts in the names of government agencies using allegedly forged documents.
The President further instructed the anti-corruption agency to determine how the fictitious body gained an appearance of legitimacy and identify any public officials, private individuals, financial institutions or intermediaries who may have facilitated or participated in the alleged scheme.
According to the statement, the probe will cover the origin and use of the alleged forged documents, the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been sought or obtained, the opening and operation of related bank accounts, the source and movement of any funds involved, and any institutional failures that enabled the operation.
Tinubu also directed the ICPC to identify weaknesses in government procedures that were exploited and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
He ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to cooperate fully with the commission by providing all relevant records and information required for the investigation.
“The integrity of the Presidency and the institutions of the Federal Government must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service. All persons found culpable are to be treated strictly in accordance with applicable law,” the President stated.
The directive follows weeks of public scrutiny over the alleged operation of the PFIPC, which reportedly maintained offices at the Federal Secretariat Complex, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation of N1.3 billion, and engaged diplomatic missions despite lacking any legal backing.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), counsel to Adeyemi, had earlier questioned how the council was included in the national budget if the appointment letter was forged. He also called for an investigation into both Adeyemi and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Presidency, however, denied any link between Gbajabiamila and the alleged scheme, stating that police forensic analysis confirmed that the signature on the disputed appointment letter was forged.
Onanuga said the Nigeria Police had completed its investigation before filing charges at the Federal High Court.
“The police investigated the suspect, carried out forensic analysis of the Chief of Staff’s signature and established that it was forged. They also found that all the documents he was parading were fake,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has released Adeyemi’s father after questioning him over his son’s whereabouts.
A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the elderly man was interrogated for several hours before being released.
“He was questioned about his son’s whereabouts, and the police also copied the contacts on his phone before allowing him to leave,” the source said.
The arrest of Adeyemi’s father on Monday had drawn criticism from Falana, who questioned the legality of the action.
A police inspector has been killed and another officer seriously injured after gunmen allegedly ambushed a joint security team in Jigawa State.
The incident occurred on Saturday, August 22, 2026, after security personnel responded to reports of farmland destruction in Gwaram Local Government Area.
According to a security report obtained by Zagazola Makama, the attack took place at about 3pm in a forested area.
The joint team comprised personnel from Gwaram and Fagam police divisions, the 35 Police Mobile Force and local security outfits. Members of the Vigilance and Community Response Unit (VCRU) and Operation Salama also participated in the operation.
The report said the team had been patrolling the area following recurring complaints involving suspected herders and farmland destruction.
The personnel reportedly came under attack after entering the area, with the assailants said to have used arrows.
Inspector Bukar Wakili, attached to Gwaram Division, was reportedly struck in the face and sustained serious injuries.
Another officer, Inspector Mohammed Shafiu of the VCRU in Dutse, was also injured during the incident.
Both officers were taken to a hospital, where Shafiu was confirmed dead, according to the report.
Bukar was later referred to the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for further medical treatment.
The identities and affiliation of the attackers have not been independently confirmed, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Additional tactical teams were subsequently deployed to reinforce the security personnel and support efforts to identify those responsible.
Police have opened an investigation into the incident and maintained a security presence in the affected area.
The attack comes amid recurring disputes involving farmers and herders in parts of northern Nigeria, where disagreements over farmland and grazing routes can sometimes escalate into violence.
A young man suspected of attempting to steal cables from a transformer was found dead after reportedly being electrocuted along Trademore Road in Lugbe, Abuja, in the early hours of Friday.
The deceased was reportedly found crouched and lifeless near the transformer, with his body said to have become stiff, suggesting he may have been electrocuted when power was restored.
Residents said there had been no electricity supply in the area on Thursday night before the incident occurred.
The discovery attracted a crowd of residents, who expressed concern over the increasing activities of cable vandals in different parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
Rasheed Ogunyemi, a resident of Iddo Seriki along the Airport Road, said residents in his area often contribute money to repair their transformer, only for vandals to return and cut the cables.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident, stating that the deceased’s body had been evacuated and deposited at a mortuary in Gwagwalada for autopsy.
More than 60 worshippers are feared to have been kidnapped from the Central Mosque in Dekara town, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, during Jumu’at prayers on Friday.
The incident occurred when suspected terrorists, said to be operating in large numbers, stormed the mosque while the prayers were ongoing.
According to sources, the attackers fired several shots before rounding up some of the worshippers and taking them into the surrounding forest.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Borgu Local Government Area witnessed several security incidents on Friday, including attacks on three communities.
“So many things happened in Borgu LGA on Friday. Terrorists attacked three communities, including Dekara. In Dekara, they went to the Central Mosque while Jumu’at prayer was ongoing and kidnapped more than 60 people. But they did not injure anybody,” the resident said.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, has died after reportedly collapsing during a party reconciliation meeting in Iyara, the council headquarters.
Solomon reportedly slumped suddenly while participating in the meeting convened on Friday by a former Ijumu council chairman, Funsho Olumoko, as part of efforts to resolve internal disagreements and promote unity among APC stakeholders in the area.
An eyewitness said the incident caused confusion among participants, who immediately attempted to revive the party chairman before rushing him to a hospital in Kabba.
He reportedly died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The development shocked party leaders and other stakeholders who had gathered for the reconciliation meeting, which was aimed at strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting was expected to bring together party leaders, ward and local government executives, women and youth leaders, as well as government appointees from the 15 wards in Ijumu.
The incident occurred amid renewed efforts by APC stakeholders in the council to resolve longstanding disagreements and restore unity within the local chapter.
Earlier in the month, party leaders in Ijumu had endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, for second terms.
However, that gathering was reportedly disrupted by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, with Solomon and some other officials said to have walked out of the meeting.
Olumoko, who organised Friday’s reconciliation meeting, had previously been mandated by the Ijumu Consultative Forum to facilitate dialogue among political stakeholders in the council.
Solomon’s sudden death is expected to create fresh uncertainty around the ongoing reconciliation efforts within the Ijumu APC, coming barely two weeks after stakeholders renewed calls for unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
The cause of his death had not been officially disclosed as of the time of filing this report, while efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC were ongoing.
Tension and grief have gripped the political community in Enugu State following the suspected murder of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairman in Udenu Local Government Area, Chisimdiri Emmanuel Ngwu.
Ngwu, described as one of the longest-serving members of the ADC in the state, was reportedly found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, under circumstances that have raised concerns among his family, friends and political associates.
A family source told our correspondent that Ngwu woke up early on Wednesday, left the house and never returned alive.
The source said the family became worried after they noticed he was missing, only to later discover his lifeless body outside the compound.
“We woke up and didn’t see him, only to discover his lifeless body in front of our compound,” the source said.
The source further alleged that scratches were found around Ngwu’s neck and that his neck appeared to have been twisted backwards, raising suspicions about the circumstances of his death.
The incident has sparked concern within the ADC in Udenu and the wider political community in Enugu State, with calls for security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring anyone found responsible to justice.
Meanwhile, two persons have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.
Their identities and the specific circumstances surrounding their arrest were not immediately known as of press time.
Ngwu’s death has since sent shock waves through the ADC, with party members and associates mourning his death and demanding a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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