Category: Daily Trust

The United Kingdom High Commission and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki held extensive discussions regarding the state of Nigeria’s democracy in Abuja on Thursday.

The High Commission’s delegation was led by Dr. Fortune Aldred, Senior Political Adviser, and Stephen Asek, Political Adviser (Cameroon).

Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, stated that the meeting deliberated on the health of Nigeria’s democracy and the role and relevance of the opposition within the democratic process.

According to Ememobong, the interactive session centered on the ‘current asphyxiation of the opposition, the prolonged state-sponsored leadership crisis in the PDP, the potential candidature of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 elections, and the general outlook for the 2026 elections.’

In his presentation, Turaki reiterated the party’s position on the ‘need to ensure the survival of multi-party democracy and the opposition, which remain critical pillars of a thriving democratic system.’

He further argued that the current ‘state capture’ disposition of the APC-led Federal Government has directly contributed to heightened political tension, a trend he described as unhealthy for Nigeria’s democracy.

‘The political temperature of the country has risen to fever-pitch levels, traceable majorly to the actions and inactions of the APC-led Federal Government, who are relentlessly provocative in their desire to forcefully capture every part of our country,’ Turaki stated.

Responding on behalf of the delegation, the team leader, Dr. Fortune Aldred, thanked the party leadership for the engagement and assured them that the issues raised would be conveyed through the Commission’s established reporting channels.

Dr. Aldred further noted that while Nigeria is a sovereign nation and its internal politics remain a domestic affair, the Commission has a responsibility to monitor political developments and communicate its observations through established diplomatic avenues.

Several people were feared killed on Thursday when armed men reportedly attacked three communities in Kupa Kingdom – Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi – in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State in an alleged reprisal attack.

Residents said the incident began around 8am when a herder, suspected of being a cattle rustler, was shot and killed during a heated altercation with local vigilantes at a checkpoint in the community.

‘Few hours after the checkpoint incident between a herder and vigilantes, armed hoodlums invaded the town, shooting sporadically from different directions.

‘In the process, several residents were killed, with many others sustaining injuries, as the armed hoodlums attacked streets, markets and even the palace of our paramount traditional ruler in the town.

‘As of yesterday night, seven people were confirmed dead. The death toll may rise in the days ahead as the search for and confirmation of victims is still in progress.

‘Moreover, the situation will become clearer when families who sought refuge in safer communities start returning from their various hiding places,’ Ahmed, a resident of Abugi, said.

A son of the Mayaki of Kupa, Prince Aliyu Isah Kabir, who is the APC Youth Leader of Kupa South Ward, was confirmed to be among the victims of the attack.

The Lokoja Local Government Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, saying the attack on the Kupa communities had led to loss of lives and destruction of property.

Adamu said: ‘We have charged the relevant security agencies to swing into action and arrest anyone who has a hand, directly or remotely, in the attack and bring them to face the law.

‘The government is saddened by this devilish act and will leave no stone unturned in getting justice for the deceased. I want to appeal for calm while the relevant security agencies take action.’

The Kogi State Government also condemned the attack, describing it as tragic, senseless and unacceptable.

In a statement issued on Friday, the state government described the incident as a reprisal attack and vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding it, identify those responsible and prosecute them as a deterrent to others.

In the statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the government said: ‘The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest terms both the killing of the unarmed herder and the subsequent reprisal attack.

‘These are criminal acts that have no place in our society. Anyone found to have participated in either incident, regardless of status or ethnic affiliation, will face the full weight of the law.

‘We appeal to all residents to remain calm and resist the temptation of reprisals. We also urge members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that will aid ongoing investigations and the arrest of all those responsible.’

According to the statement, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo sympathised with the families of the deceased and directed ‘security agencies to immediately restore calm, take control of the situation and apprehend those responsible for the killings.’

The government also appealed for calm, urging residents to avoid further retaliation and provide security agencies with credible information as investigations into the incident continue.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command was contacted over the development, but its spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, did not respond to calls and a text message as of the time of filing this report.

For many young Nigerians, turning 30 has become more than a milestone, it feels like a deadline to achieve financial success, build a career, own a home, and meet society’s expectations.

But who defined this timeline, and does it still reflect today’s economic realities?

Join us in this episode of Nigeria Daily as we explore why so many young Nigerians feel the pressure to ‘make it’ before 30.

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued four victims abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

The victims were rescued by the police in collaboration with members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), local hunters and other sister security agents.

The command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, in a statement, said the police received information that armed men, numbering about three and dressed in vigilante uniforms, had blocked the Ugbokun axis along the Lagos/Benin Expressway with logs of wood and leaves, attacked motorists and abducted some occupants into the forest.

She said upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Okada Division, immediately mobilised a combined team of police operatives including vigilante, local hunters and other security partners to the scene.

According to her, the operatives swiftly embarked on an aggressive bush-combing operation enhanced by drone technology to search and aid the rescue mission.

She said following the sustained pressure mounted on the criminals, they abandoned the captives and fled, leading to the rescue of the victims.

The spokesperson, who gave the names of the victims as, Muritala Babatunde, Bello Aminat, Otor Prince, and Yeiyah Gift, said they had been reunited with reunited with their families.

She disclosed that operations were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.

The UK Government has announced the appointment of Ms Vicky Seymour as Deputy High Commissioner, Abuja.

Ms Seymour succeeds Mrs Gill Lever OBE, who completed her posting in June 2026.

Ms Seymour has now taken up her role in Abuja, where she will support and strengthen the UK’s partnership with Nigeria, which spans economic growth, security, migration, development, international collaboration and the links between people of the two countries.

Ms Seymour brings more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, international development and government.

Most recently, she served as Head of the East Africa Department at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), a position she held since 2023.

Prior to this, she led the FCDO’s Trade Diplomacy Department and served as Development Director in Mozambique.

Her career has included senior leadership roles across Africa, including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in Afghanistan, as well as positions focused on climate, security and economic development.

Before joining the civil service, she worked in the not-for-profit sector with a focus on migration.

Vicky Seymour said: ‘I am delighted to be taking up the role of Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja. I look forward to getting to know this extraordinary country, meeting people from across Nigeria’s diverse communities, and building on the strong partnership that already exists between our two countries. Together, I hope we can continue creating opportunities for greater collaboration and links between our people in the years ahead.’

The fixtures draw for the 2026/2027 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season will be held today, August 7, on the sidelines of the league body’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The AGM serves as the official business assembly of the NPFL, where the board and club leadership review the concluded season and ratify the policy direction for the incoming campaign.

The gathering will be held at the Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi Events Hall, opposite the University College Hospital in Ibadan.

Over the past four seasons, NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye has steadied the affairs of the top-flight league, establishing a reliable calendar that sees the season kick off in August and conclude in May.

Reflecting on this progress, Elegbeleye noted, ‘Our modest achievement includes putting the NPFL on a stable calendar since the 2023/2024 season. It is a major shift from the era of never knowing when the season will be concluded.’

He also highlighted his initial promise to ensure live broadcast coverage of the league, stating, ‘We have succeeded to a large extent in this direction, but still have much more work to do.’

Meanwhile, during the AGM, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Davidson Owumi will present the technical and operations report, while GTI Asset Management will present the financial report.

Following the conclusion of these presentations and the earlier announcement of the official kick-off dates, the highly anticipated fixtures draw for the 2026/2027 season will take place.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cleared the Presidency of any involvement in the appointment of the purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi and creation of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The commission said the appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was forged and did not originate from the State House.

The chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed this yesterday after submitting the interim report of the commission’s investigation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: ‘The ICPC discovered that Adeyemi also created two additional fictitious government agencies, apart from the one that is known in the public domain. Our investigation unraveled two other fake government agencies, namely FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-PPP).’

Tinubu had, on July 7, directed the ICPC to investigate the activities of the council and submit its findings within 30 days.

Aliyu said investigations established that Adeyemi ‘was never appointed by the federal government or any authority of government,’ he said.

He added that the council ‘was never established by any law, executive order or other valid instrument of government.’

He said Adeyemi appropriated the identity of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), illegally occupied its office and used forged government documents to carry out the activities of the fake agency.

He also said investigators discovered that the office used by the fake council was unlawfully accessed after its lock was broken.

It would be recalled that while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee that investigated the PFIPC, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had acknowledged granting official administrative approvals to the ‘phantom’ council based on documents allegedly later found to be forged.

On July 29, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, told the committee that her office issued an ‘authorised establishment’ and a recruitment waiver after receiving what was purported to be the council’s establishment Act and the appointment letter of its Director-General.

The ICPC chairman said it was also established that no federal government funds were approved or disbursed to the agency.

‘Our investigation found that weaknesses in verification, inter-agency oversight and government processes were exploited by Adeyemi with some level of negligence,’ he said.

State House disowns agency

The State House on Thursday distanced itself from the PFIPC, telling the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the ‘phantom’ council that it neither created it nor initiated any correspondence relating to its budget.

Permanent Secretary, State House, represented by the Director of Administration, Abdulkadir Idris, said the Presidency had no knowledge of the council until reports about it surfaced in the media.

Appearing before the committee, Idris said: ‘We did not send any correspondence or any request to the Office of the Accountant-General in respect of this council. We didn’t even know anything about this council. We never heard about it until we started seeing it in the media.

‘It is not our statutory responsibility to seek approval or justification for the creation of the PFIPC.’

The committee had invited the Permanent Secretary over documents purportedly originating from the State House requesting the creation of a budget code for the council, which lawmakers suspected was instrumental to securing budgetary allocations for the organisation.

But Idris dismissed the documents as fake, insisting that neither the signatory nor the office indicated on the letters exists in the State House.

He specifically denied the existence of one Akande Adewale who allegedly signed the disputed correspondence as Director of Administration and Support Services.

‘I am the Director of Administration in the State House. When the letter was shown to us, I saw it was signed in November 2024. At that time, the Director of Administration was Mrs. Aderonke Jaiyesimi, who retired in January 2025.

‘I presented to the Nigeria Police the list of Directors of Administration in the State House from 2003 till date. There is no name resembling Akande Adewale in our records,’ Idris said.

He further told lawmakers that the State House had no department known as the Directorate of Administration and Support Services.

Idris said he and the Permanent Secretary were invited by the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre after the controversy broke, where they presented official records to aid ongoing investigations.

During the hearing, the committee’s chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, confronted the witness with copies of letters allegedly written by the State House to the Accountant-General requesting a budget code for the PFIPC.

He said another letter from the Accountant-General’s Office appeared to acknowledge the request and bore a handwritten receipt stamp purportedly from the State House.

But Idris maintained that neither he nor the Permanent Secretary received such correspondence.

‘We are not in possession of any such documents. We did not write those letters, and we did not receive any response of that nature,’ he insisted.

He noted that appointments of directors-general of federal agencies are political appointments processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), not the State House.

We approved 7 number plates to PFIPC – FRSC

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, on Thursday told the House’s ad-hoc committee that following the ongoing investigation, the FRSC had commenced the process of retrieving all the official number plates allocated to the PFIPC.

Mohammed said the FRSC issued seven official government number plates to the council after following what it believed were established verification procedures.

He explained that the application was accompanied by documents purportedly showing that the organisation had been legally established.

‘Our standard operating procedure requires every ministry, department or agency requesting official government number plates to submit a formal application, after which we verify the authenticity of the request before approval,’ he said.

He said the request was received in April 2025 from an office described as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and was supported with establishment documents and a list of chassis numbers for the vehicles.

‘As part of the verification process, our officials visited the office address presented to us and found it operational. Based on the documents and the verification carried out, we approved seven official government number plates,’ he said.

‘We have already begun administrative processes to retrieve all the official government vehicle number plates issued to the agency and have strengthened our internal verification mechanism to prevent a recurrence,’ he said.

The chairman of the committee, Gagdi, questioned the credibility of the documents relied upon by the FRSC, pointing out that the purported mandate of the council carried no official federal government insignia or security features.

Gagdi also noted that the document listed President Tinubu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and several serving ministers as members of the council’s board, describing the composition as suspicious.

‘Does this look normal to you?’ the chairman asked.

Responding, the Corps Marshal, responded: ‘It does not’,admitting that the document should have raised concerns.

Mohammed also confirmed that the seven vehicles registered for the council were brand new vehicles that had not previously existed in the FRSC database.

He admitted that the PFIPC case had exposed weaknesses in the agency’s verification process, describing it as an isolated incident from which the commission had learnt valuable lessons.

‘This is the first time we have encountered a case like this. It is now an experience for us, and we are strengthening our intelligence and verification processes so that it will never happen again,’ he said.

C’ttee fixes joint hearing, silent on Adeyemi’s appearance

The committee yesterday adjourned its sitting to next Wednesday at 12 noon, when all the government agencies that have testified so far are expected to appear for a joint session.

Its chairman, Gagdi, said the next hearing would bring together representatives of the affected institutions to jointly reconcile discrepancies in the documentary evidence before the panel.

‘We want to interact with certain people together, not one-on-one. We want the Head of the Civil Service, the Accountant-General, the State House and all other relevant agencies to be here at the same time so that we can establish exactly where the alleged infractions started and identify the weaknesses in each institution,’ he said.

He also said that the joint session would allow the committee to trace the chain of official actions that allegedly enabled the council to obtain government recognition, office accommodation, budgetary allocation and other official privileges.

The adjournment, however, leaves unanswered one of the questions surrounding the investigation, which is when the purported Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, will finally appear before the panel.

The issue has remained a subject of public interest since the committee disclosed at an earlier sitting that it had established contact with Adeyemi at an undisclosed location and considered his testimony crucial to determining how the purported council allegedly secured official recognition, office accommodation and budgetary provisions despite government insistence that it was never lawfully established.

Last week, the committee had directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi before the lawmakers. But the police representatives told the panel that they could not comply because he was being held under a valid remand order of the Federal High Court. They explained that releasing him without the court’s authorisation would amount to a violation of the subsisting judicial order and requested the committee to obtain the necessary court warrant. The committee accepted the explanation and resolved to seek the court’s approval for his appearance.

CISLAC seeks sanctions for indicted officials

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for a broader probe into the operations of the PFIPC, saying accountability should not end with the prosecution of its purported Director-General.

Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, commended the ICPC for concluding its investigation, but emphasised that all public officials whose actions or negligence enabled the operations of the fake agency should face appropriate sanctions.

He said those who facilitated the opening of the agency’s bank accounts, approved office accommodation, processed its budget and other official dealings should not escape scrutiny.

‘Beyond just the administrative action against all the people that are involved, none of them should be spared. None of them should be politically protected. They all have committed crimes and therefore there must not be punishment for only one person,’ Rafsanjani said.

He maintained that it would have been impossible for one individual to carry out the alleged fraud without the cooperation or negligence of public officials, adding that those found culpable should face severe consequences rather than ‘light administrative inquiry.’

Rafsanjani also called on the leadership of the National Assembly to apologise to Nigerians for approving budgetary allocations for the council despite its non-existent legal status.

On the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee’s decision to question the purported DG in private rather than during a public hearing, Rafsanjani said the move would further erode public confidence in the legislature.

‘The National Assembly is always diminishing public confidence and trust of Nigerians. Why do you want to do a secret hearing when other witnesses were invited publicly? We do not support this secret hearing or secret investigation. If they are not hiding anything, let them come and do everything openly,’ he said.

He urged the Presidency to ensure that the ICPC’s recommendations are implemented without favouritism, warning against selective justice in the handling of the case.

On its part, the Connected Development (CODE) said the findings of the ICPC underscored the need for stronger transparency, accountability and institutional reforms across government.

In an interview with the Communications Manager, Stephen Akinfala, the organisation said the ICPC’s investigation exposed weaknesses in verification processes, inter-agency coordination and oversight.

CODE noted that the findings reinforced its long-standing advocacy for improved public financial management, transparent budgeting, open government and citizen oversight through its Follow The Money initiative.

Family opposes Adeyemi’s closed-door interrogation

Adeyemi’s family was reported to have alleged that members of the committee attempted to question him in police custody without the presence of his lawyers.

Adeyemi’s brother, Peter Adeyemi, reportedly alleged yesterday that committee members visited the detention facility where the suspect was being held but that he declined to answer questions because his legal representatives were not present.

He was quoted as saying that Adeyemi was willing to defend himself but wanted to do so publicly, just as the allegations against him had been made in open hearings.

The development followed a statement issued on Wednesday by Adeyemi’s lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, rejecting the committee’s reported plan to question his client at an undisclosed location while in police custody.

According to the statement, the defence team welcomed the House investigation into the alleged establishment and operations of the PFIPC but opposed any closed-door interrogation, arguing that their client should be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations in a public hearing where other witnesses had testified.

The committee has yet to publicly respond to the allegations by Adeyemi’s family or his legal team. While, the chairman of the committee, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, was announcing that all agencies that have appeared before the panel would return for a joint session next Wednesday, he was silent on Adeyemi. He did not say if Adeyemi would be produced to testify before the lawmakers or not.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a final warning to commercial transport operators loading passengers along roadsides and operating from illegal motor parks, announcing an imminent enforcement drive to move all intercity and intra-city transport operations into newly constructed bus terminals.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Transportation Secretariat, Mr Chinedum Elechi, said the administration was ready to enforce compliance to restore order, modernise public transportation and address security concerns, including ‘one chance’ robberies, drug trafficking and arms smuggling linked to unprofiled transport operators.

‘At the root of many security challenges is transportation.

‘The problem of ‘one chance’ and general insecurity will be half solved if we have a proper transportation system where operators are profiled and operate from designated terminals.

‘Under the new operational framework, long-distance intercity routes such as Kaduna, Aba, Lokoja, Owerri and Sokoto will operate strictly from designated terminals such as Mabushi and Kugbo. The Central Business District (CBD) terminal will handle intra-city routes, serving as a hub for taxis, e-hailing services and feeder buses,’ Elechi said.

He noted that, for the first time in the FCT’s 50-year history, the administration has built state-of-the-art bus terminals capable of handling more than 2,000 passengers.

According to him, the facilities include structured car parks, shopping outlets, food courts, escalators and cinemas, and will be managed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with Planet Projects.

Elechi added that discussions were ongoing with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to provide dedicated spaces within the CBD terminal for staff buses.

Addressing concerns over storm damage at the Kugbo terminal, he explained that the facility absorbed high-speed winds during a severe localised storm, thereby preventing major structural damage to nearby residential buildings.

He said structural modifications and roof repairs were nearing completion and that the terminal would soon become fully operational alongside the Mabushi and CBD terminals.

The secretariat warned that the previous practice of releasing impounded vehicles after operators signed undertakings would no longer continue.

Elechi noted that FCT transport regulations prohibit the operation of commercial motor parks in open spaces or on private premises without official authorisation.

‘We are not taking food from anyone’s table; we are asking operators to move from unsafe and unhealthy roadside locations into modern facilities built with billions of naira.

‘If you convert private premises into illegal motor parks, we will enforce the law, seal the premises and impound the vehicles.

‘The FCT must look like every modern capital city,’ he said.

The Transportation Secretariat also disclosed that efforts were ongoing to address intermittent traffic light failures caused by depleted solar batteries and faulty sensors. It urged residents to support the government’s anti-vandalism campaign by reporting the theft of traffic signalling cables and other power components.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benue State on Thursday unveiled Abba John Abba, a lawyer, as its deputy governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The State Chairman of the party, Samson Okwu, made the announcement during an unveiling ceremony in Makurdi.

He urged aggrieved party members to set aside their grievances to ensure victory for all candidates at the polls, stressing the need for the party faithful to ‘close ranks’ in the interest of the bigger picture. The party’s governorship candidate, Herman Hembe, described Abba’s selection as a strategic decision endorsed by the national leadership, led by former Senate President, Dr. David Mark.

Expressing full confidence in his running mate, Hembe stated, ‘From my running mate to the next Deputy Governor of Benue State, we will work together for the development of Benue.’

Hembe urged party members to mobilize within their communities to secure victory in 2027, pledging that an ADC administration would improve healthcare delivery, strengthen security, and accelerate rural development. He noted that widespread insecurity has prevented residents from farming and trading, promising that his administration would implement urgent interventions to end the menace.

Furthermore, the governorship candidate promised to grant full autonomy to local governments immediately upon inauguration, emphasizing that grassroots development would remain a cornerstone of his tenure.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hembe committed to a peaceful, issue-based campaign focused on the party’s platform rather than personal attacks on opponents.

He also declared that he would serve only one four-year term if elected, after which the governorship would be zoned to Benue South. He noted that this arrangement would allow the party to align with the rotation of power, following the eight-year tenure currently being served by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Earlier, the party’s Campaign Director, Prof. Cletus Torkyaa, urged Nigerians to vote for the ADC in 2027, describing the party as a credible alternative for good governance.

Dr. David Olofu, the ADC candidate for the Benue South Senatorial District, added that the time had come to ‘rescue Benue’ from its current challenges. He characterized the choice of Abba as a strategic move that would significantly strengthen the party’s prospects.

In his acceptance speech, Abba thanked the party for the confidence reposed in him.

He pledged unwavering loyalty to the party’s vision and promised to work closely with Hembe to ensure the ADC emerges victorious in the 2027 governorship election.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cleared the Presidency of any involvement in the appointment of the purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi and creation of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The commission said the appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was forged and did not originate from the State House.

The chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed this yesterday after submitting the interim report of the commission’s investigation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: ‘The ICPC discovered that Adeyemi also created two additional fictitious government agencies, apart from the one that is known in the public domain. Our investigation unraveled two other fake government agencies, namely FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-PPP).’

Tinubu had, on July 7, directed the ICPC to investigate the activities of the council and submit its findings within 30 days.

Aliyu said investigations established that Adeyemi ‘was never appointed by the federal government or any authority of government,’ he said.

He added that the council ‘was never established by any law, executive order or other valid instrument of government.’

He said Adeyemi appropriated the identity of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), illegally occupied its office and used forged government documents to carry out the activities of the fake agency.

He also said investigators discovered that the office used by the fake council was unlawfully accessed after its lock was broken.

It would be recalled that while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee that investigated the PFIPC, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had acknowledged granting official administrative approvals to the ‘phantom’ council based on documents allegedly later found to be forged.

On July 29, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, told the committee that her office issued an ‘authorised establishment’ and a recruitment waiver after receiving what was purported to be the council’s establishment Act and the appointment letter of its Director-General.

The ICPC chairman said it was also established that no federal government funds were approved or disbursed to the agency.

‘Our investigation found that weaknesses in verification, inter-agency oversight and government processes were exploited by Adeyemi with some level of negligence,’ he said.

State House disowns agency

The State House on Thursday distanced itself from the PFIPC, telling the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the ‘phantom’ council that it neither created it nor initiated any correspondence relating to its budget.

Permanent Secretary, State House, represented by the Director of Administration, Abdulkadir Idris, said the Presidency had no knowledge of the council until reports about it surfaced in the media.

Appearing before the committee, Idris said: ‘We did not send any correspondence or any request to the Office of the Accountant-General in respect of this council. We didn’t even know anything about this council. We never heard about it until we started seeing it in the media.

‘It is not our statutory responsibility to seek approval or justification for the creation of the PFIPC.’

The committee had invited the Permanent Secretary over documents purportedly originating from the State House requesting the creation of a budget code for the council, which lawmakers suspected was instrumental to securing budgetary allocations for the organisation.

But Idris dismissed the documents as fake, insisting that neither the signatory nor the office indicated on the letters exists in the State House.

He specifically denied the existence of one Akande Adewale who allegedly signed the disputed correspondence as Director of Administration and Support Services.

‘I am the Director of Administration in the State House. When the letter was shown to us, I saw it was signed in November 2024. At that time, the Director of Administration was Mrs. Aderonke Jaiyesimi, who retired in January 2025.

‘I presented to the Nigeria Police the list of Directors of Administration in the State House from 2003 till date. There is no name resembling Akande Adewale in our records,’ Idris said.

He further told lawmakers that the State House had no department known as the Directorate of Administration and Support Services.

Idris said he and the Permanent Secretary were invited by the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre after the controversy broke, where they presented official records to aid ongoing investigations.

During the hearing, the committee’s chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, confronted the witness with copies of letters allegedly written by the State House to the Accountant-General requesting a budget code for the PFIPC.

He said another letter from the Accountant-General’s Office appeared to acknowledge the request and bore a handwritten receipt stamp purportedly from the State House.

But Idris maintained that neither he nor the Permanent Secretary received such correspondence.

‘We are not in possession of any such documents. We did not write those letters, and we did not receive any response of that nature,’ he insisted.

He noted that appointments of directors-general of federal agencies are political appointments processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), not the State House.

We approved 7 number plates to PFIPC – FRSC

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, on Thursday told the House’s ad-hoc committee that following the ongoing investigation, the FRSC had commenced the process of retrieving all the official number plates allocated to the PFIPC.

Mohammed said the FRSC issued seven official government number plates to the council after following what it believed were established verification procedures.

He explained that the application was accompanied by documents purportedly showing that the organisation had been legally established.

‘Our standard operating procedure requires every ministry, department or agency requesting official government number plates to submit a formal application, after which we verify the authenticity of the request before approval,’ he said.

He said the request was received in April 2025 from an office described as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and was supported with establishment documents and a list of chassis numbers for the vehicles.

‘As part of the verification process, our officials visited the office address presented to us and found it operational. Based on the documents and the verification carried out, we approved seven official government number plates,’ he said.

‘We have already begun administrative processes to retrieve all the official government vehicle number plates issued to the agency and have strengthened our internal verification mechanism to prevent a recurrence,’ he said.

The chairman of the committee, Gagdi, questioned the credibility of the documents relied upon by the FRSC, pointing out that the purported mandate of the council carried no official federal government insignia or security features.

Gagdi also noted that the document listed President Tinubu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and several serving ministers as members of the council’s board, describing the composition as suspicious.

‘Does this look normal to you?’ the chairman asked.

Responding, the Corps Marshal, responded: ‘It does not’,admitting that the document should have raised concerns.

Mohammed also confirmed that the seven vehicles registered for the council were brand new vehicles that had not previously existed in the FRSC database.

He admitted that the PFIPC case had exposed weaknesses in the agency’s verification process, describing it as an isolated incident from which the commission had learnt valuable lessons.

‘This is the first time we have encountered a case like this. It is now an experience for us, and we are strengthening our intelligence and verification processes so that it will never happen again,’ he said.

C’ttee fixes joint hearing, silent on Adeyemi’s appearance

The committee yesterday adjourned its sitting to next Wednesday at 12 noon, when all the government agencies that have testified so far are expected to appear for a joint session.

Its chairman, Gagdi, said the next hearing would bring together representatives of the affected institutions to jointly reconcile discrepancies in the documentary evidence before the panel.

‘We want to interact with certain people together, not one-on-one. We want the Head of the Civil Service, the Accountant-General, the State House and all other relevant agencies to be here at the same time so that we can establish exactly where the alleged infractions started and identify the weaknesses in each institution,’ he said.

He also said that the joint session would allow the committee to trace the chain of official actions that allegedly enabled the council to obtain government recognition, office accommodation, budgetary allocation and other official privileges.

The adjournment, however, leaves unanswered one of the questions surrounding the investigation, which is when the purported Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, will finally appear before the panel.

The issue has remained a subject of public interest since the committee disclosed at an earlier sitting that it had established contact with Adeyemi at an undisclosed location and considered his testimony crucial to determining how the purported council allegedly secured official recognition, office accommodation and budgetary provisions despite government insistence that it was never lawfully established.

Last week, the committee had directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi before the lawmakers. But the police representatives told the panel that they could not comply because he was being held under a valid remand order of the Federal High Court. They explained that releasing him without the court’s authorisation would amount to a violation of the subsisting judicial order and requested the committee to obtain the necessary court warrant. The committee accepted the explanation and resolved to seek the court’s approval for his appearance.

CISLAC seeks sanctions for indicted officials

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for a broader probe into the operations of the PFIPC, saying accountability should not end with the prosecution of its purported Director-General.

Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, commended the ICPC for concluding its investigation, but emphasised that all public officials whose actions or negligence enabled the operations of the fake agency should face appropriate sanctions.

He said those who facilitated the opening of the agency’s bank accounts, approved office accommodation, processed its budget and other official dealings should not escape scrutiny.

‘Beyond just the administrative action against all the people that are involved, none of them should be spared. None of them should be politically protected. They all have committed crimes and therefore there must not be punishment for only one person,’ Rafsanjani said.

He maintained that it would have been impossible for one individual to carry out the alleged fraud without the cooperation or negligence of public officials, adding that those found culpable should face severe consequences rather than ‘light administrative inquiry.’

Rafsanjani also called on the leadership of the National Assembly to apologise to Nigerians for approving budgetary allocations for the council despite its non-existent legal status.

On the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee’s decision to question the purported DG in private rather than during a public hearing, Rafsanjani said the move would further erode public confidence in the legislature.

‘The National Assembly is always diminishing public confidence and trust of Nigerians. Why do you want to do a secret hearing when other witnesses were invited publicly? We do not support this secret hearing or secret investigation. If they are not hiding anything, let them come and do everything openly,’ he said.

He urged the Presidency to ensure that the ICPC’s recommendations are implemented without favouritism, warning against selective justice in the handling of the case.

On its part, the Connected Development (CODE) said the findings of the ICPC underscored the need for stronger transparency, accountability and institutional reforms across government.

In an interview with the Communications Manager, Stephen Akinfala, the organisation said the ICPC’s investigation exposed weaknesses in verification processes, inter-agency coordination and oversight.

CODE noted that the findings reinforced its long-standing advocacy for improved public financial management, transparent budgeting, open government and citizen oversight through its Follow The Money initiative.

Family opposes Adeyemi’s closed-door interrogation

Adeyemi’s family was reported to have alleged that members of the committee attempted to question him in police custody without the presence of his lawyers.

Adeyemi’s brother, Peter Adeyemi, reportedly alleged yesterday that committee members visited the detention facility where the suspect was being held but that he declined to answer questions because his legal representatives were not present.

He was quoted as saying that Adeyemi was willing to defend himself but wanted to do so publicly, just as the allegations against him had been made in open hearings.

The development followed a statement issued on Wednesday by Adeyemi’s lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, rejecting the committee’s reported plan to question his client at an undisclosed location while in police custody.

According to the statement, the defence team welcomed the House investigation into the alleged establishment and operations of the PFIPC but opposed any closed-door interrogation, arguing that their client should be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations in a public hearing where other witnesses had testified.

The committee has yet to publicly respond to the allegations by Adeyemi’s family or his legal team. While, the chairman of the committee, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, was announcing that all agencies that have appeared before the panel would return for a joint session next Wednesday, he was silent on Adeyemi. He did not say if Adeyemi would be produced to testify before the lawmakers or not.