Crime
S’West Govs unite against ISWAP elements, bandits
Raising the concern at the 2025 annual inter-faith service for workers held at the Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, Makinde said, “During a security briefing this morning, I learnt that some bad elements from the North-West are relocating here due to military heat in their zones. But we will find and deal with them.”
The Ogun State government also said it had contacted relevant security agencies, including the military and the police.
The Department of State Services recently arrested 10 suspected members of ISWAP in Ilesa, Osun State.
The arrest came to public knowledge when the DSS sought an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja to detain the suspects for 60 days, an order Justice Emeka Nwite granted last week Friday.
In the same vein, the Oodua People’s Congress urged all the six governors of the South-West to treat as a security emergency the building of camps inside Yoruba land forests by insurgents and terrorists fleeing the North, as it offered to help security agencies tackle the menace.
Govs are consulting
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, noted that he is consulting with his counterparts in Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states.
His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, said the governor, who is also the chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, receives daily intelligence on the state of security in the region.
Akosile said the governor was prepared to handle security matters in the region, adding that he was well briefed on the issue.
“There is no empirical evidence that there are bandits in the South-West but on matters of security, you can never be over-prepared.
“The governor is receiving intelligence reports on different matters and he is in consultation with other governors from the South-West on how best to tackle the growing concern over security issues in the region,” Akosile told our correspondent in an interview.
“If you recall the inaugural meeting of the South-West Governors Forum, one of the major topics raised at the meeting was the security of the region, so they’ve been meeting on some of the ways to checkmate insecurity in the South-West.
“Basically, they’re studying the situation and there will be something done at the end of the day,” he added.
Speaking on the security situation, the Oyo State government assured residents that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of everyone in the state.
The government, during a press briefing after the state’s joint security council meeting on Tuesday, said all hands were on deck to fish out the bandits and use the instrumentality of the law to deal with them.
The Special Adviser on Security to Oyo State Governor, Fatai Owoseni, in a statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to Oyo State Governor, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, urged the people to go about their lawful activities without any fear.
Owoseni said with the robust synergy among the security agencies in the state, the bandits and other criminal elements had nowhere to hide.
He also confirmed that Oyo was collaborating with neighbouring states in the region to secure its borders and guard against the influx of bandits.
He noted that to strengthen the security network in the state, the council would hold expanded meetings that would incorporate local government chairmen as well as traditional rulers.
“The essence of this is to ensure that we take security to the grassroots. The local government administration is the third tier of government and is the closest to the people.
“In the same vein, traditional rulers are close to the people and know most people in their domains.
“By integrating them into the security network, we are taking security to the grassroots and carrying everyone along. Security is everybody’s business and we all have a role to play in ensuring that our state is safe from the antics of bandits and other criminal elements,” Owoseni said.
He said that the council also discussed decongesting correctional centres, adding that the state would invoke its power of prerogative of mercy to set free some of the inmates.
Also, the Osun State government said it was providing necessary support for security agencies to make the state unsafe for suspected terrorists and other criminals.
It assured residents that efforts were being geared towards keeping the state safe.
Ojo said “If the government is not working, will they (ISWAP members) be arrested? So, the government is assisting the security agencies to ensure that criminals are arrested and sent away from our state.
“The state is not a place for any criminal and that is why they were nabbed at the earliest stage.”
Allaying fears of possible infiltration by terrorists hiding in neighbouring states to Osun, Ojo, who demanded timely intelligence from the people, particularly residents of boundary communities, said security agencies were working hard to provide security for lives and properties.
“There is no need for them (residents of boundary communities) to panic. Security agencies are working round the clock. The residents should sleep with their two eyes closed without panicking. The DSS and other security agencies are working very hard to make sure they pick others that may be hiding,” Ojo said.
The government also said 84 illegal migrants were arrested while entering the state, adding that those arrested could not explain their mission.
Ojo said Immigration operatives intercepted the foreigners and, after checks, they were made to return to their country through Cross River State.
When asked if those reportedly arrested had been profiled to get further details about them, Ojo said, “Nobody was intercepted from the North. The immigration arrested about 84 migrants and they have been transported back to their country through Cross-River State.
He, however, did not disclose the country where the illegal immigrants came from.
The Corps Commander of Osun Amotekun Corps, Mr Adekunle Omoyele, said the agency had received full support from the state government, adding that the operatives were motivated and supported to fight insecurity.
“In Osun State, the governor is fulfilling his promises to Amotekun by providing substantial funding. He has purchased motorcycles for the corps, which have been distributed across the state commands.
The OPC, in a statement by its President, Wasiu Afolabi, on Sunday urged all the six governors of the southwest to treat as a security emergency, the building of camps inside forests by insurgents and terrorists fleeing the North.
“These foreign Fulani terrorists have always said that after conquering the North, the South will be next. Now it is happening.
“But the OPC is ready to let these evil dreamers know that Yorubaland can never be conquered or occupied by foreign invaders. Let the six governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states invite us to deal with this menace today before it is too late.
“We have the men and capacity to confront these foreign invaders physically, militantly, technologically and spiritually. All we are demanding from South-West governors is the necessary invitation, equipment and support to do what is needed to wipe out this menace of foreign criminals,” Afolabi said.
Crime
Ex-Minister Uche Nnaji Set for Arraignment as ICPC Files Six Criminal Charges Over Alleged Certificate Forgery
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a six-count criminal charge against former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, , over alleged certificate forgery and related offences.
The charges, filed before the Court in Abuja, are contained in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026, with the Federal Government listed as the complainant and Nnaji as the sole defendant.
According to the charge sheet, the ICPC accused the former minister of receiving N29.58 million in salaries and allowances while serving in office, alleging that he ought to have known the funds were proceeds of an unlawful act arising from corruption and fraud. The commission said the action contravenes provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that Nnaji used his office to confer corrupt advantage on himself and knowingly presented false information to the Federal Government by submitting forged (NYSC) and (UNN) certificates during his ministerial appointment in 2023.
In separate counts, the ICPC accused him of producing and using as genuine a forged NYSC Certificate of National Service and a forged UNN degree certificate, offences punishable under the Penal Code.
The filing of the charges follows Nnaji’s arrest last Wednesday after arriving in Abuja from Enugu aboard a chartered flight.
The prosecution stems from an investigation published by Premium Times, which alleged that Nnaji forged his university degree and NYSC certificates submitted to President and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation.
The newspaper reported that the confirmed Nnaji was admitted in 1981 but neither graduated nor was issued a degree certificate, while the NYSC also reportedly disowned the discharge certificate attributed to him.
Nnaji resigned as minister shortly after the allegations became public. He has since defected from the APC to PDP, where he emerged as the governorship candidate of a faction of the party for the 2027 Enugu governorship election.
He is expected to be arraigned before the Federal High Court in the coming days.
Source: Premium Times
The Enugu State Police Command has impounded 195 vehicles for various registration and number plate violations as it commenced enforcement of the nationwide ban on unregistered vehicles and improperly identified automobiles.
The enforcement operation, led by the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, took place across the state on Tuesday in compliance with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the affected vehicles were impounded for offences including operating without registration, using covered, defaced, obscured or unauthorized number plates, improperly affixed number plates, and displaying only one number plate instead of the legally required two.
The police said owners of the impounded vehicles would be arraigned in court and prosecuted in accordance with the National Road Traffic Regulations and other relevant laws.
Speaking during the exercise, CP Giwa commended officers for conducting the operation professionally and urged motorists to comply with vehicle registration and number plate regulations.
He warned that the command would sustain the enforcement exercise to enhance public safety and ensure that offenders are prosecuted.
The commissioner noted that the enforcement followed the recent directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, mandating all state commands to strictly enforce the ban on unregistered vehicles and prosecute violators due to the security risks such vehicles pose and their frequent use in criminal activities.
CP Giwa also cautioned police personnel against extortion, harassment or any other form of misconduct during the operation, warning that any officer found culpable would face severe disciplinary action.
He further urged owners of unregistered vehicles and those using covered, defaced, obscured, unauthorized or improperly affixed number plates to immediately regularise their documents and comply with all applicable laws.
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.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has alleged that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, violated the conditions attached to a court-approved medical visit while in the commission’s custody.
The anti-graft agency also announced the arrest of El-Rufai’s personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar, over alleged false statements made during the incident.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson and Head of Media and Public Communications, John Odey, the ICPC said it approved El-Rufai’s medical visit in compliance with a Kaduna State High Court order and in keeping with its obligation to respect the rights and welfare of persons in its custody.
According to the commission, the Kaduna State High Court had fixed July 6, 7 and 8, 2026, for the accelerated hearing of criminal charges against the former governor. However, El-Rufai was absent when proceedings commenced on the first day.
The ICPC said its prosecution team informed the court that when officers arrived to convey El-Rufai to court, he declined to accompany them, insisting on seeing his personal physician.
The commission stated that no prior request had been made for the medical consultation and that when questioned by its medical doctor, El-Rufai reportedly said he had no immediate medical complaints but explained that his wife, Asia El-Rufai, who is also one of his legal counsel, requested that he consult his personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, to hear El-Rufai’s application seeking the trial judge’s recusal and to await the decision of the Kaduna State Chief Judge on a petition seeking the transfer of the case.
Despite the adjournment, the ICPC said it approved the hospital visit in line with the court’s directive.
The commission said its medical and security personnel accompanied El-Rufai to the private wing of the National Hospital, Abuja, on Tuesday and remained outside the consultation room at the request of his family members while he was being attended to by an oncologist.
However, the ICPC alleged that it later discovered photographs posted on Facebook by one of El-Rufai’s political associates, Isa Ashiru Kudan, showing the former governor receiving several visitors, including Professor Abubakar, during the period designated for the medical consultation.
According to the commission, the photographs suggested that the hospital visit was used for activities beyond the purpose approved by the court.
“The images and post by Isa Kudan indicated that the arranged medical visit was utilised for activities outside the scope contemplated by the court and the ICPC. This is a clear violation of the court order,” the statement said.
The commission said it had treated El-Rufai and other suspects in its custody with professionalism, patience and courtesy, but alleged that its goodwill had been abused.
It added that it would bring the alleged violation of the court order to the attention of the court.
The ICPC also announced that Professor Bello Abubakar had been taken into custody for further investigation over alleged false statements.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to operating within the law, warning that it would not tolerate any abuse of its goodwill or disregard for court orders.
The controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal deepened on Monday following the reported arrest of the father of the council’s embattled promoter, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. The Federal Government has listed the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and 10 others as prosecution witnesses.
The arrest of Adeyemi’s father reportedly took place at the family’s residence in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Monday. According to Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, police officers stormed the residence and took the elderly man into custody.
“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to appear in court, so why arrest his father?” Falana said.
Eyewitnesses alleged that police officers arrived in four vehicles, prevented neighbours from intervening, and took the elderly man to a police station. A family friend who was visiting the residence was also reportedly arrested, while Adeyemi’s aged mother was left in a state of shock.
The development has sparked concerns among legal practitioners and human rights advocates over the legality of the arrest.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, cautioned against drawing conclusions without knowing the reasons behind the arrest.
“If a person is arrested solely to pressure a suspect to surrender, such an arrest is unlawful,” Osigwe said. “However, if the father is himself a suspect or a person of interest in the investigation, then the law permits his arrest.”
Similarly, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sam Erugo, maintained that arresting a parent for an offence allegedly committed by a child is unlawful.
According to Erugo, Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, expressly prohibits arrest by proxy or in lieu of another person.
He, however, urged the Nigeria Police Force to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrest, stressing that the public deserves a clear explanation from the authorities.
The Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement on the reported arrest as of the time of filing this report.
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