₦airaland Forum

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered cases of alleged payroll fraud involving an official who enrolled 14 members of his family as government employees.

The commission also identified another individual who allegedly enrolled his wife, children and other relatives and collected 13 salaries.

ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Economic Confidential Lecture and National Spokespersons Award organised by Image Merchants Promotions Limited.

Aliyu said the commission’s investigation into ghost workers had exposed how individuals manipulated government payroll systems to receive multiple salaries.

“We discovered that one person enrolled 14 members of his family,” he said.

Aliyu said the commission had identified about 900 suspected ghost workers and published their names, challenging them to prove that they were genuine employees.

He said the commission spent about a year investigating the suspected ghost workers and uncovering how fictitious names were inserted into government payrolls.

“In some cases, when they insert their names, you will see their name in the payroll. You will see their email. But when you check the account number, you will see the name of another person. So, that is how these things have been done,” he explained.

Aliyu warned that ghost workers could lead to other fraudulent benefits, including pensions, mortgages, housing funds and health insurance.

“Once there is a ghost worker, there is a ghost pension, there is a ghost mortgage, there is a ghost housing fund, there is ghost health insurance,” he said.

He disclosed that the commission recovered more than N24 billion in ghost pension funds in 2024.

Aliyu said the ICPC was increasingly focusing on preventing corruption and protecting public resources through interventions rather than relying solely on prosecution.

“It is better for us to do that than to engage in filing criminal charges. How many charges can we file?” he asked.

He said the commission had recovered or secured government resources through interventions in projects and other areas, stressing that its ultimate goal was to ensure that Nigerians benefited from public expenditure.

The ICPC chairman also called for greater use of data and technology in fighting corruption, saying access to reliable information was essential to strengthening public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

by Ruth Nwokwu


Nigeria failed to meet the United States government’s minimum fiscal transparency requirements in 2025, according to the 2026 fiscal transparency report released by the US Department of State on Thursday.

The report assessed Nigeria and 138 other governments, as well as the Palestinian Authority, for the period January 1 to December 31, 2025.

According to the report, Nigeria is among 67 governments that did not meet the minimum requirements. The US also placed Nigeria among countries that made “no significant progress” towards addressing deficiencies identified during the review period.

The US Department of State said its assessment examines whether governments make key fiscal information available to the public, including budget documents, debt obligations, audit reports, natural resource contracts and public procurement information.

“Fiscal transparency is a critical element of effective public financial management, helps build market confidence, and underpins economic sustainability,” the department said.

The report added that transparency “fosters greater government accountability by providing a window into government budgets, helping citizens hold their leadership accountable and facilitating better public debate.”

According to the US, the assessment also supports business environments by strengthening public financial management and reducing the risks of corruption and unfair practices in international markets. It also helps to “advance internationally recognized industry standards for extractive industries” and reduce risks associated with financial crimes such as money laundering and terrorist financing.

The assessment requires governments to make executive budget proposals, enacted budgets and end-of-year reports widely and easily accessible within specified periods. It also requires that information on government debt obligations, including debt linked to major state-owned enterprises, be publicly available on a public-facing website and updated at least annually.

Budget documents are expected to provide a substantially complete picture of planned government revenue and expenditure, including natural resource revenues. The documents should include expenditure broken down by ministry and revenue broken down by source and type, as well as allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises.

On reliability, the US said actual government revenue and expenditure should correspond to the enacted budget, while significant deviations should be explained and publicly disclosed.

The assessment also examined the independence and effectiveness of supreme audit institutions, and for countries with significant natural resource extraction, whether criteria for awarding contracts and licences are publicly available and codified in law.

The department, however, cautioned that the fiscal transparency assessment should not be interpreted as a corruption ranking.

“A finding that a government ‘does not meet the minimum fiscal transparency requirements’ does not necessarily mean there is significant corruption in the government,” the department said.

Of the 140 governments assessed, 73 met the minimum fiscal transparency requirements, while 67 did not. Fourteen of those that failed were assessed to have made significant progress.

The 2026 report also introduced stricter criteria, requiring governments to publicly disclose the terms and conditions of sovereign loans made to foreign borrowers, including liabilities and collateralised assets.

By Sani Ibrahim Pak

‎Confusion has trailed the condition of the Katsina United defender, Ozor Chinedu, who collapsed during a pre-season friendly against Niger Tornadoes at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina on Tuesday.
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‎The 18-year-old, recently signed from Kano Pillars, slumped on the pitch in the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Cup and was rushed to K-Dara Specialist Hospital, where doctors reportedly pronounced him dead.
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‎Katsina United subsequently issued a condolence statement, while clubs including Heartland and Kano Pillars mourned the player on social media.
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‎However, in a dramatic twist, mortuary staff at Katsina General Hospital later observed movement in his body.

He was immediately transferred to the Intensive Care Unit and placed on oxygen.
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‎Media officer of Katsina United, Nasir Gide, confirmed the development, saying the player had been declared dead twice before signs of life were noticed.
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‎Heartland FC, one of Chinedu’s former clubs, also confirmed the incident, urging fans to pray for his recovery.
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‎As of Wednesday morning, Chinedu remains in critical condition at Katsina General Hospital, while the football community awaits for a medial report.

Emmanuel Addeh, Peter Uzoho and Sunday Ehigiator


The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has reported a significant improvement in the implementation of the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO), with local refiners receiving 53.7 million barrels of crude oil and condensate in the second quarter of 2026, representing a 97.4 per cent performance rate.

According to data released by the Commission yesterday, the Dangote Refinery accounted for the overwhelming majority of the crude supplied to domestic refiners during the quarter.

The NUPRC said the refinery required 63 million barrels during Q2, while producers offered it 68.1 million barrels. The volume represented about 98 per cent of the total 69.3 million barrels offered to all domestic refiners during the quarter.

However, the Dangote refinery accepted 52.6 million barrels, about 77 per cent of the crude offered to it and 10.4 million barrels below its stated requirement.

Its intake also represented about 98 per cent of the 53.7 million barrels eventually supplied to local refiners during the period.

The figures showed that producers were allocated 55.1 million barrels between April and June but offered 69.3 million barrels, exceeding their allocation by 14.2 million barrels, or 25.8 per cent.

Actual supplies, however, stood at 53.7 million barrels, leaving about 15.6 million barrels of the volumes offered unutilised. Supplies were also about 1.4 million barrels below the total volume allocated by the NUPRC.

The DCSO is being enforced by the NUPRC under Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which requires oil producers to make crude available to domestic refineries.

According to the Commission, the framework is administered through monthly consultations involving crude oil producers and licensed domestic refineries, after which producers are allocated specific volumes of crude oil and condensate to offer to local refiners.

However, the eventual transactions operate under the PIA’s “willing buyer, willing seller” principle, meaning that volumes offered by producers do not necessarily translate into equivalent quantities purchased and received by refiners.

The quarterly figures also showed significant variations in performance across the three months.

In April, producers were allocated 18.13 million barrels but offered 19.31 million barrels to local refiners. Actual supplies reached 20.88 million barrels, representing 114.9 per cent performance against their allocation.

In May, 18.78 million barrels were allocated and 23.19 million barrels offered, but only 14.23 million barrels were supplied, representing 75.8 per cent compliance. This resulted in a shortfall of about 4.55 million barrels against the month’s allocation.

Performance recovered in June, when producers were allocated 18.17 million barrels and offered 26.84 million barrels to refiners. Actual supplies stood at 18.61 million barrels, representing 102.4 per cent performance.

The monthly data showed that producers consistently offered more crude than their allocated volumes, but actual deliveries were influenced by the quantities refiners were willing or able to take under the commercial arrangements.

The NUPRC said the improvement in DCSO performance coincided with an increase in local oil production and the signing of long-term crude supply agreements supported by bankable Sales and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) between producers and domestic refiners.

The development is significant for Nigeria’s refining ambitions as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum products by ensuring that domestic refineries have adequate crude feedstock.

The Commission said the Q2 results demonstrated that the DCSO was “actively administered and enforced”, adding that it remained committed to sustaining the recent gains.

It said it would continue leveraging the PIA framework to sustain improvements in crude oil production while enforcing the DCSO as part of efforts to achieve the Federal Government’s objective of energy sufficiency.

Meanwhile, Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Festus Osifo, has disclosed that Nigeria’s public refineries were shut down primarily because they were operating at a financial loss, rather than non-functionality.

Osifo, who is the outgoing President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), made the disclosure yesterday, during a luncheon with members of Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN).

He explained that although the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries had resumed some level of operations following rehabilitation, the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) subsequently discovered that the value of petroleum products being produced did not justify the cost of crude being processed.

“So, the refineries were actually shut down, not that they were not functioning. Most of the old Port Harcourt Refinery, and even the Warri Refinery, were actually shut down because they were losing money,” Osifo said.

He said the refineries had suffered years of neglect, despite repeated government announcements and approvals for rehabilitation.

According to him, before 2021, there had been little or no meaningful rehabilitation of the facilities for about 15 years, despite several approvals by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

He likened the situation to road projects that were awarded by the government but remained unexecuted because they were not adequately funded.

“There have been some erroneous impressions over the years that every time they carry out turnaround maintenance and rehabilitation in those refineries. If you interview somebody or people that have worked in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri refinery 15 years before 2021, they will all tell you that they have never seen any rehabilitation or any turnaround maintenance compared to what they’ve seen from 2021,” he stated.

Osifo said significant rehabilitation work subsequently commenced in 2021, particularly at the Port Harcourt Refinery, while work was also carried out at the Warri and Kaduna facilities.

He explained that the Port Harcourt rehabilitation was comprehensive, while the Warri project was more of a quick fix because the level of degradation at the two facilities differed.

According to him, during the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, between 90 and 95 per cent of PENGASSAN members working at the facility were transferred to other Strategic Business Units (SBUs) of NNPCL.

He said the old Port Harcourt Refinery, built in 1965, was eventually restored to operation, while work continued on the new refinery.
Osifo explained that the old refinery could produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) and aviation fuel, but could not produce Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the required modern specification.

He said the old facility was therefore initially feeding products into the new refinery, which was designed to meet current specifications and produce the required petrol.

However, he said the process was later altered because a critical component needed for the completion of the new refinery was expected to take about three and a half years to arrive.

The TUC president said the new management of NNPC subsequently examined the economics of the refinery using the concept of material balance in chemical engineering.

He explained that the cost of crude being fed into the refinery was not being matched by the value of the products being obtained.
According to him, the decision to shut down the facilities was therefore aimed at preventing further losses and reassessing how the refineries could operate profitably.

Osifo argued that the proposed agreement between NNPC and a Chinese company could provide a more sustainable ownership and operational structure for the refineries.

He said PENGASSAN had examined the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NNPC and the Chinese company and had held discussions with the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC on the proposed arrangement. “We think it’s actually in the right direction,” he said.

He disclosed that PENGASSAN had consistently advocated a model similar to the ownership structure of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), where the government retains a minority stake while private investors hold the controlling interest.

“For us, we are advocating that because the company is about a three-in-one company, so let them buy up to 51 per cent. Let the government retain 49 per cent as it is in NLNG,” he said.

According to Osifo, private majority ownership would reduce government interference in operational and investment decisions.
He said decisions on maintenance and other business activities would no longer have to go through government processes, including federal executive council approvals.

“Because by the time Shell, ENI, Total Energy come together and make decisions, because they have 51 per cent, the project must move forward,” he said.

He added that private investors would be more likely to make decisions based on commercial considerations rather than political sentiments, while increased investment could create jobs and improve the value of the government’s remaining stake.

Osifo, who is concluding his tenure as PENGASSAN president, said one of the major objectives of his administration was to protect the jobs of members and improve their remuneration.

He said the union had achieved both objectives despite the extensive divestments that occurred in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

“How do we protect the job of our members and how do we enhance their pay?” he said, identifying the question as one of the fundamentals of his administration.

According to him, no PENGASSAN member lost his or her job as a direct consequence of the recent divestments involving major international oil companies.

He cited the divestments involving ExxonMobil, Shell, Eni and other international oil companies, saying the union ensured that its members’ employment and remuneration were protected throughout the transactions.

“We were able not just to protect the job of our members, but we ensured that the remuneration, we ensured that the pay of our members was not only transferred, but improved upon,” he said.

On PENGASSAN’s relationship with Dangote Refinery, Osifo said the disagreement between the union and the company had been resolved through sustained engagement.

He disclosed that about 600 workers who were disengaged by the Dangote Group during the dispute had subsequently been recalled and returned to work at the refinery.

Osifo said PENGASSAN was committed to supporting the refinery because of its importance to Nigeria’s energy security and employment generation.

“We do everything possible to protect every company that is in the space of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Because Dangote Refinery will survive for us to have members there,” he said.

He welcomed the company’s plan to double the capacity of the refinery, saying the expansion would strengthen Nigeria’s energy security while creating additional employment opportunities.

Osifo said the relationship between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Group had now become “robust”, compared with the situation about a year earlier.

The TUC president also assessed the impact of the PIA, describing the legislation as a major reform that had delivered some important changes in the oil and gas sector.

He said PENGASSAN was initially excited when the PIA was passed in August 2021 because of its potential to transform the industry.

According to him, the creation of the upstream regulator and the midstream and downstream regulator, as well as the transformation of NNPC from a corporation into a commercially oriented company, were among the key achievements of the legislation.

He said the profitability recorded by NNPC after the PIA represented another significant development.

“20, 30, 40 years before PIA, they were always making losses. But after PIA, they started making profit. So, to that extent, you could say that there is some level of success,” he said.

He also cited the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) and the Frontier Exploration Fund (FEF) as other areas where the PIA had made an impact.

However, Osifo said policy inconsistency remained a major challenge to the investment climate in the sector. He argued that the PIA should have been allowed to operate for at least five years before significant changes were introduced.

He expressed concern over the movement of fiscal provisions from the PIA to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) legislation, saying such developments could create uncertainty for investors.

“For us, it was quite worrisome because that didn’t send the right signal to investors,” he said.

Osifo said investors needed certainty about taxes, royalties and other fiscal obligations before committing funds to long-term oil and gas projects.

“For an investor to know that I’m investing $10 million today, and this $10 million is the amount of money that I’m going to pay as taxes… investors need that certainty for them to invest,” he said.

He added that oil and gas investments often take several years before they begin to yield returns, making regulatory stability particularly important.

by Ngozi Ibe


A series of mysterious billboards bearing the simple message “We Are Sorry” has sparked curiosity, speculation and plenty of jokes among residents across Abuja.

The billboards, which have appeared at different locations in the Federal Capital Territory, offer no immediate explanation about who is behind the campaign or what exactly the apology is about.

Their deliberately vague message has left many residents wondering whether the billboards are part of an upcoming advertising campaign, a political message or a publicity stunt.

Social media users have also joined the conversation, with some jokingly suggesting that the message could be a warning about something yet to happen.

One Facebook user, Odidi Micheal Osilamah, jokingly linked the message to possible government policies, writing: “The Federal government is about to UNLEASH MORE POVERTY…so the posted ‘WE ARE SORRY’ poster in advance to all residence…hmmm ProMaz shege loading.”

Another user, Ogbajie Ifeanyi Jude, simply asked: “Sorry for what’s coming or what? They should let us know.”

The comments reflect the uncertainty surrounding the campaign, with Abuja residents turning the unexplained billboards into a source of online banter and speculation.

Some social media users have even humorously suggested that political figures, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, or other prominent personalities, could somehow be connected to the campaign.

There is, however, no confirmed evidence at this time linking Wike, the Federal Government or any particular individual or organisation to the billboards.

The mystery has only added to the campaign’s visibility, as residents continue to share photographs of the signs online and speculate about what the cryptic apology could mean.

Whether the message is the opening phase of a major advertising campaign, a social experiment, a political statement or simply a publicity strategy remains unclear.

For now, Abuja residents are left with one question:


Sorry for what?

by Bunmi Aduloju


Dangote Petroleum Refinery says it has overtaken the United States (US) as Europe’s largest jet fuel supplier for the second consecutive month.

The refinery, in a statement on Thursday, said the development underscores its growing influence in international energy markets.

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has strengthened its position as a global supplier of premium aviation fuel after emerging as Europe’s largest jet fuel supplier for the second consecutive month, overtaking the United States and underscoring the refinery’s growing influence on international energy markets,” the statement reads.

The refinery said the latest European import data compiled by global commodities intelligence firm, Kpler, showed that more than 400,000 tonnes of jet fuel produced at the refinery were delivered to Europe in July, accounting for about 20 percent of the continent’s total jet fuel imports during the month.

“The performance follows a record 466,000 tonnes exported to Europe in June, when Nigeria first displaced the United States as the region’s leading supplier of imported jet fuel,” the statement further reads.

“The sustained export performance marks a significant milestone for the refinery, demonstrating its ability to consistently supply one of the world’s most demanding fuel markets with aviation fuel that meets stringent international quality specifications.

“Europe imported approximately 2.06 million tonnes of jet fuel in July, with Dangote accounting for the single largest share of those imports, ahead of traditional suppliers from the United States and the Middle East.”

The refinery said its strategic location on Nigeria’s Atlantic coast, combined with its scale, modern technology and export capability, has enabled it to become an increasingly important source of aviation fuel for Europe, despite the continent’s longstanding reliance on refiners in the United States, the Middle East, and Asia.

Dangote refinery said the export momentum has been driven by steadily rising production.

“Jet fuel loadings at Dangote’s Lekki export terminal reached a record 550,000 tonnes in June, while crude deliveries to the refinery climbed to an all time high of 660,000 barrels per day, providing the throughput required to sustain growing exports of refined petroleum products to international markets,” the statement said.

The latest figures come amid shifting global energy flows, the refinery noted.

“Although Europe received limited volumes of jet fuel from Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman in July, market disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and evolving geopolitical dynamics have encouraged buyers to diversify supply sources,” the firm said.

“Against this backdrop, Dangote Refinery has emerged as a reliable and competitive supplier, reinforcing Nigeria’s growing importance in global refined products trade.”

David Bird, the chief executive officer of Dangote refinery, said the organisation has expanded exports of diesel, petrol, and other refined petroleum products to markets across Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world, in addition to aviation fuel.

Bird said the exports are reinforcing Nigeria’s position as a net exporter of high-value refined petroleum products.

By Saheed Oyelakin


Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has come under criticism on social media after using South African singer Tyla’s Grammy win to mock Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, during an online exchange over the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

The clash began after presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, announced on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to lift the court order restricting Osun State Government accounts following a phone conversation with Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Reacting to the post on X, Davido, whose uncle, Ademola Adeleke, is seeking re-election as Osun governor on Accord Party platform, wrote, “I was there live! I witnessed history!!!”

Ahmad, a chieftain of the All Progressive Party, responded by saying he had bookmarked Davido’s post, writing, “This tweet is bookmarked. It will serve as a reference for future events. I know you will come back here to lament if the August 15 results don’t go your way.”

Davido fired back, alleging that election results could be manipulated.

“Of course, because same way you clowns can call the INEC Chairman to write Election results… guy free me my own no good,” he wrote.

In another post, the singer mocked Ahmad’s performance in a previous primary election, saying, “U got 16 votes bro in primaries!!”

Ahmad then shifted the argument from politics to music, posting an image of a Grammy Award and asking, “We have talked enough about the number of votes I got in my primaries.

“Can we now talk about the number of Grammy Awards you have won from your five nominations, David? Fair is fair.”

He also accused Davido of predicting electoral malpractice because he lacked confidence in his preferred candidate.

“In politics, it is always those who know they lack a solid structure and have no real support on the ground who start screaming and crying rigging even before a single ballot is cast.

“David, for you to start dishing out such excuses now, we know what that means. You already know what the outcome will be. The good people of Osun are taking back their state on August 15th and we will be here to celebrate with them,” Ahmad wrote.

Davido replied that success should not be measured solely by awards.

“You measure success by one award. I measure it by sold-out arenas, billions of streams, global influence, and people singing my songs across continents.

“You had government backing and still couldn’t convince enough people to back you in your small constituency.

“You’re a small boy who came into politics by accident.

“You spent 8yrs with the ex president and couldn’t make a change in your poverty stricken community.

“We all have different trophies Bashir, I’ll keep inspiring the young ones and generations to come while you wait for the next government job to get crumbs,” the singer wrote.

Ahmad later posted an AI-generated image of Davido holding a Grammy Award with the caption, “Congratulations, David.”

He subsequently shared a photograph of Tyla holding her Grammy Award with the caption, “Water. @davido.”

The post drew widespread criticism from X users, with many users accusing Ahmad of poor judgment for comparing a South African artiste with a Nigerian musician at a time of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Several users argued that if Ahmad wanted to troll Davido over the Grammy issue, he should have referenced Nigerian Grammy winners such as Burna Boy, Wizkid or Tems instead of a South African artiste.

One user, @Muhammad_2005__, wrote, “Imagine. Stop shaming us please,” while @TheFactTech90 said, “You’re so Insensitive.”

Another user, @Abba_tx described the post as “So annoying,” while @femi1055 wrote, “You’re disgraceful for this post.”

@SaintEmmyyy commented, “You need to act your age fr,” while @KawuGambo simply described the post as “Tragic.”

Some users specifically questioned Ahmad’s choice of Tyla.

One commenter wrote, “If you wanted to compare Grammys, why not use Burna Boy, Wizkid or Tems instead of a South African?” Another said, “Using Tyla against a fellow Nigerian at this time is unnecessary.”

Some commenters also revisited Davido’s earlier criticism of Ahmad’s political career. @marcus_marcel_ wrote, “‘You spent 8yrs with the ex president and couldn’t make a change in your poverty stricken community..’ End of Discussion.”

Others, however, defended Ahmad’s jab or shifted attention back to Davido’s Grammy record.

Another user, @OlasunkanmiYaki, wrote, “You’re trolling the wrong guy @BashirAhmaad,” suggesting the former presidential aide had picked an unwinnable argument.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered two additional fake government agencies linked to Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, as investigations into the alleged fraud deepen.

ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday, while briefing State House correspondents after presenting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Aliyu said investigators established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council had no legal backing, having neither been created by an Act of the National Assembly nor by an executive order.

According to the interim findings, the appointment letter used by Adeyemi was forged, while the fake PFIPC unlawfully took over the offices and official instruments previously used by the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

The ICPC chairman said the syndicate operated from the former PEAC office and engaged in impersonation, false representation and other illegal activities by exploiting gaps in verification procedures and coordination among government agencies.

He revealed that investigators also discovered two other fictitious government agencies, the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency.

“These agencies were created using forged legislative instruments and were used to open bank accounts for illegal activities,” he said.

Aliyu further disclosed that Adeyemi later altered the name of the fake organisation from the Foreign Investment Promotion Council to the Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in an attempt to broaden its scope to include revenue generation.

He said, “The investigation found no funds were approved or disbursed for the fake PFIPC/PEAC, and there were no weaknesses in the State House or CBN system.”

The commission recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, disciplinary action against public officials alleged to have aided the operation of the fake agency, and reforms to strengthen internal controls across government institutions.

According to the report, officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) were identified as collaborators in the scheme.

Aliyu stressed that investigations were still ongoing.

“The report is interim and the investigation continues to uncover more details to file criminal charges against Adeyemi and his collaborators,” he said.

He added that President Tinubu had been briefed on the findings and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in resolving the matter.

The ICPC launched an investigation after questions were raised over the existence and activities of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an organisation that allegedly presented itself as a federal agency despite lacking any legal foundation.

Earlier investigations established that the council was never created by law, while its alleged director-general, Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, was found to have used forged appointment documents and unlawfully occupied facilities belonging to the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Federal Government to impose economic sanctions on South African companies operating in Nigeria over recurring xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and the destruction of their businesses in South Africa.

Falana said Nigeria should adopt measures based on the principle of reciprocity in international relations, saying that diplomatic protests alone may not compel the South African government to take decisive action against attacks targeting Nigerians.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria spoke with journalists at his country home in Ilawe-Ekiti at the weekend after a thanksgiving Mass and reception held in honour of the late Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi (Afuntade I).

He said the Federal Government’s plan to seek the intervention of the African Union might not produce the desired outcome, noting that South Africa wields considerable influence within the continental body.

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According to him, any complaint before the African Union could end with the adoption of a resolution without concrete enforcement.

Falana maintained that Nigeria has a responsibility to respond firmly if its citizens are being driven out of South Africa and their businesses destroyed.

He urged Nigerians to patronise alternatives to South African-owned businesses, including telecommunications giant MTN, saying such a move would send a strong message to the South African authorities.

“Where there are alternatives, Nigerians should be encouraged to migrate from MTN because there are alternatives. That is one way South Africa will know that Nigeria is serious,” he said.

Falana also advocated the revocation of mining licences granted to South African companies operating in Nigeria, insisting that stronger economic measures would demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad.

He, however, faulted the Nigerian government for failing to adequately protect its citizens from harassment and human rights violations across Africa.

According to him, Nigeria has denied its citizens access to an important legal avenue by failing to recognise the jurisdiction of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for individual petitions.

“The Federal Government will have to employ diplomatic action, but beyond that, it should also adopt economic measures against South African companies operating in Nigeria.

“In the 1970s, because of apartheid in South Africa, Nigeria nationalised British Petroleum. It should also be possible today to nationalise some South African investments in Nigeria if necessary.

“There is the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania, established by the African Union to address human rights abuses in member states. Nigeria has refused to allow its nationals access to that court by failing to deposit the necessary instruments.

“If Nigerians could approach the African Court in the same way citizens can approach the ECOWAS Court in Abuja, South Africa would have been dragged before the court by victims of xenophobic attacks.

“I challenge the government of Nigeria to allow citizens access to the African Court without any further delay. Victims of gross human rights violations in African countries should have the opportunity to seek justice before the continental court, just as they can at the ECOWAS Court.” he added.

Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed the recent defence of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies by Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, as a desperate exercise in revisionism, saying no amount of polished presentations can whitewash the economic suffering inflicted on Nigerians.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the minister’s claims on public debt, subsidy removal, debt servicing and workers’ welfare collapse under the weight of publicly available facts.

According to Atiku, the claim that savings from the removal of fuel subsidy are being used to offset liabilities inherited from previous administrations is fundamentally misleading.

“As of May 2023, when President Tinubu assumed office, the Federal Government’s exposure to the Central Bank of Nigeria stood at approximately ₦26.9 trillion. Today, that exposure has ballooned to over ₦40.38 trillion.

“This administration has not reduced its indebtedness to the CBN. It has merely changed the label on the debt by converting Ways and Means advances into Treasury Bills and bonds while simultaneously piling up fresh obligations. That is debt restructuring—not debt repayment.”

Atiku noted that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, recently disclosed that the CBN’s credit to the Federal Government rose from ₦22.99 trillion in May 2025 to ₦40.38 trillion in May 2026—a staggering increase of ₦17.39 trillion, or 77.6 per cent within one year.

“This completely destroys the narrative that subsidy savings are being used to reduce government indebtedness. Nigerians deserve honesty, not creative accounting.”

The former Vice President also described as false the claim that subsidy savings are funding improved workers’ welfare.

“Which salary increase is the government talking about? The Federal Government is yet to fully implement the new minimum wage. The 40 per cent peculiar allowance tied to the wage adjustment remains unpaid despite official directives that it should take effect from May 1, 2026. The promised wage award has equally not been fully implemented. These are not opposition allegations; they are the grievances of organised labour.”

Atiku further rejected the claim that subsidy savings are financing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

“The Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND publicly stated that the scheme received a ₦50 billion injection from recovered funds by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). If that is the case, why is the government now presenting subsidy savings as the source? Nigerians are tired of an administration that changes its story each time it is confronted with facts.”

The former Vice President also faulted the attempt to blame rising debt servicing costs solely on high interest rates.

“Who drove interest rates to their current levels? Under this administration, the Monetary Policy Rate has climbed dramatically, making borrowing prohibitively expensive for manufacturers and the private sector. Government’s insatiable appetite for borrowing has crowded out productive businesses while pushing debt servicing to unsustainable levels. To now blame interest rates is nothing short of an admission of policy failure.”

Atiku said the administration’s economic scorecard cannot be hidden behind statistics that bear no resemblance to the everyday reality of Nigerians.

“Food prices have spiralled beyond the reach of ordinary families. Inflation continues to erode incomes. Businesses are shutting down. Unemployment remains alarming. The naira has suffered unprecedented depreciation, while poverty has deepened across the country. These are the realities Nigerians confront daily—not the glossy presentations from government officials.”

He said no amount of propaganda can erase the verdict already delivered by millions of Nigerians struggling to survive.

“Governments are judged not by PowerPoint presentations or television interviews but by the quality of life of their citizens. On that score, this administration has failed spectacularly. Economic hardship cannot be explained away with clever rhetoric. Nigerians are living the consequences every day.”

Atiku urged government officials to abandon media spin and begin confronting the harsh realities facing the nation with sincerity, competence and accountability.

By Saheed Oyelakin


A 28-year-old widow identified as Tosin has become the centre of a viral case involving alleged threats, intimidation, and attempted dispossession by her late husband’s family, just eight days after his death.

The incident, shared on Tuesday by activist Harrison Gwamnishu on his X handle, has prompted a response from the Lagos State Government, which confirmed that the alleged perpetrator had been arrested.

In a video posted by the activist, a man identified as Tosin’s father-in-law is seen padlocking the gate of the property, apparently locking the widow out of the house.

Sharing the footage, Gwamnishu wrote, “Standing with young widow TOSIN. This man here is Tosin’s father-in-law. See him padlocking the gate, locking Tosin outside.

“He has his own house. They are after properties and forgetting there are two children left behind. Tosin is now being threatened for going public.”

He added that while awaiting intervention from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, a petition would be submitted to the Lagos State Police Command.

“Our demand is simple: In-laws move to your house and allow Tosin to mourn her late husband,” he stated.

In an earlier post, Gwamnishu alleged that Tosin’s husband died on July 20, 2026, after which members of his family moved into the deceased’s residence at No. 8 Jumofak, Igbo Oluwo Estate, Koya Adeniran, Ikorodu.

According to him, the widow’s father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and his wife allegedly ordered her to move all her personal belongings and those of her two young sons into a single room in the house.

He further claimed that some of the deceased’s belongings had already been shared among family members, while plans were underway to sell his car.

“This grieving widow is now living in fear for herself and her two children,” Gwamnishu said.

“She is appealing to the Lagos State Government, especially the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, to urgently intervene and protect her and her children from intimidation, unlawful dispossession and any further actions that may deprive her children of their late father’s inheritance.

“No widow should have to fight for dignity, shelter and justice just days after losing her husband.”

Responding in a statement on Tuesday, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency said it became aware of the viral report and immediately contacted the widow.

According to the agency, the survivor alleged that she had been subjected to threats to her life, physical assault and intimidation following her husband’s death.

“The Agency successfully established contact with the survivor, who alleged that she had been subjected to threats to her life, physical assault, and intimidation following the recent death of her husband.

“She further informed the Agency that the matter had already been reported to the Owutu Police Division.

“As part of its intervention, the Agency commenced engagement with the investigating police officers handling the case.

“Preliminary feedback from the Police confirms that the alleged perpetrator has been arrested and is currently in custody, while investigations continue,” the statement read.

The agency said the Lagos State Government remained committed to ensuring the safety and protection of the widow and her children while working with relevant stakeholders to ensure justice is served in accordance with the law.

It also urged members of the public to continue reporting cases of domestic and sexual violence through its official reporting channels.

PFIPC Scandal: Investigators Have Identified 29 Alleged Forged Documents, Says Reps Panel Chair

.........Committee gives IG 48 hours to produce ‘fake’ DG

....... Forged State House letter gave phantom agency recognition – Accountant-General


The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has uncovered 29 documents suspected to have been forged in what lawmakers described as an elaborate scheme to confer legitimacy on the non-existent agency.

The committee also gave the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, a 48-hour ultimatum to produce the self-acclaimed director-general of the council, Adeyemi Adeniyi, before lawmakers to answer questions over the alleged fraud.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), disclosed the development on Monday during the panel’s resumed investigative hearing, saying the scale of the alleged forgery had become far more extensive than initially thought.

“So, it is not only a letter that was suspected to be forged? We are dealing with documents that include what is said to be a forged Act of the National Assembly in an attempt to establish a fake agency,” Gagdi said.

He added that investigators had identified about 29 allegedly forged documents, including purported approvals from the State House, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Finance and several other government institutions.

According to him, representatives of many of the affected institutions had already appeared before the committee and categorically disowned the documents attributed to their offices.

The committee subsequently directed its Clerk, Baba Kaigama, to formally notify the Inspector-General of Police to ensure Adeyemi appears before the panel by noon on Wednesday.

Explaining the decision, Gagdi said the committee could no longer proceed without hearing directly from the suspect.

“This committee clearly needs the suspected DG to appear before this committee. People’s names are involved. People’s integrity is involved. Institutional names are involved. Institutional integrity is involved.

“It is not an option now. We will need him here to confirm some documents for us in such a way that will not undermine our investigation to enable us to submit our report on time,” he said.

He stressed that while the committee wanted answers, it had deliberately refrained from compelling the police to divulge information that could compromise ongoing criminal proceedings.

“We are avoiding a situation whereby they will be pushed to make statements that will undermine their ongoing investigation,” Gagdi said, adding that the House investigation would continue independently and could make recommendations for further action by relevant security agencies.

The directive followed testimony by the Nigeria Police Force confirming that petitions from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President triggered criminal investigations into Adeyemi for allegedly impersonating the director-general of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

Representing the IGP, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi told lawmakers that the police had already filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi before the Federal High Court.

“The Nigerian Police Force investigated part of this case late last year and filed eight charges before a Federal High Court. The case is ongoing,” he said.

Abdullahi disclosed that the suspect had been arrested and arraigned, but cautioned against disclosures that could prejudice ongoing investigations and judicial proceedings.

“Wedon’t want to say things that are under investigation. It is definitely going to prejudice the ongoing investigation and make people have opinions that may prejudge the outcome of an investigation or judicial decision,” he stated.

The police further confirmed receiving a petition dated October 17, 2025, from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President alleging that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the director-general of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

According to the police, the petition alleged that Adeyemi used the purported office to obtain accommodation within the Federal Secretariat, sought approval to recruit about 300 personnel, attempted to secure a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act and planned to organise a World Investment Summit through the non-existent agency.

During the hearing, the committee also compared signatures on documents purportedly issued from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President with authentic official correspondence obtained by investigators.

Asked whether the signatures corresponded, ACP Abdullahi replied: “They are not the same.”

The lawmakers said the discrepancy further strengthened suspicions that several State House documents relied upon by the purported council had been forged.

Earlier, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, disclosed that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation acted on what appeared to be an authentic State House correspondence requesting the creation of an administrative code for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, only for investigations to later reveal that the letter never originated from the Presidency.

“A letter dated 7 November 2024, bearing a State House reference number, requested the creation of an administrative code for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council to facilitate budgeting, accounting and financial reporting,” Ogunjimi said.

He explained that in line with established procedures, the Treasury processed the request, created the administrative code and communicated its approval to the State House, with a copy sent to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation.

Following the approval, the office received additional requests from the purported council, including applications for self-accounting status, deployment of personnel, opening of Treasury Single Account (TSA) and domiciliary accounts, as well as funding approvals.

Ogunjimi, however, maintained that no public money was ever released.

“It is important to note that no funds were released under salaries, overhead, capital, or any form of intervention or special allocation to the council,” he said.

He further disclosed that although the council sought an establishment grant of N27.4 billion, the request was rejected because there was no budgetary provision for it.

The Accountant-General also revealed that although the Central Bank of Nigeria opened two domiciliary accounts for the organisation, they never became operational because the regulatory requirements for activation were not met.

Explaining how the alleged fraud escaped early detection, Ogunjimi said the Treasury had no reason to doubt the authenticity of the correspondence.

“The letter that the Treasury received was respectfully addressed as coming from the State House,” he said.

He further disclosed that the Treasury’s response to the State House was intercepted before it reached the Presidency.

“The letter that was written to the Treasury for us to give the administrative code was responded to by the State House. Unfortunately, as events unfolded, it was discovered that the letter did not reach the State House. It was hijacked. Precisely by the same man who claimed to be the DG.

“In our letter, we responded to the State House’s request to issue the administrative code. If it had got to the State House, definitely we would have noticed the State House never issued that letter,” Ogunjimi said.

The committee also questioned how civil servants originally posted to the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President came to be attached to the purported council without the Treasury’s knowledge.

Responding, Ogunjimi said no formal communication was ever received notifying the Treasury that the officials had been transferred to another organisation.

“It was never assumed or written to us that those two officers were being taken over. The staff also never reported to the office that another council had taken over and that the name had changed.

“As far as I was concerned, we were dealing with a new agency, not the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser,” he said.

He added that when the purported council later requested five additional officers, the Treasury approved only three because its size did not justify the number sought.

“It was when all this matter came to light that I got to know that two of our staff members were actually working or were being absorbed by the agency. We never knew. We believed, based on the records available to us, that those officers were still with the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser,” Ogunjimi stated.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the House constituted the ad hoc committee to investigate how the controversial PFIPC found its way into the 2026 Appropriation framework.

The probe has already produced a series of revelations, including confirmations by the Central Bank of Nigeria that two foreign-currency domiciliary accounts were opened for the organisation but never activated, and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that it rejected all requests from the purported agency after due diligence exposed inconsistencies in its documentation.

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that Uche Nnaji has continued to receive monthly salaries and allowances 10 months after his resignation as the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

In a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, HEDA, led by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, stated that the petition follows an earlier submission on 17 October 2025 regarding allegations of certificate forgery, perjury, and the presentation of false academic credentials.

Mr Nnaji resigned from his position on 7 October last year, three days after PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation exposing alleged irregularities in the UNN degree and NYSC certificates he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial screening in August 2023.

Following the initial scandal, the ICPC launched an investigation. After Mr Nnaji ignored multiple invitations to be questioned, the agency secured an arrest warrant against him. On 1 July, the former minister was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon arrival from Enugu on a chartered flight.

He was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 13 July on six counts of certificate forgery and money laundering. The hearing has been adjourned until 21 September.


Calls for expanded investigation

In its latest statement, HEDA has urged the ICPC to broaden its probe in light of new findings from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)—the federal platform designed to centralise public-sector payroll data and reduce financial waste.

According to HEDA’s petition, IPPIS records for June 2026 allegedly list Mr Nnaji under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as ‘Hon Minister’, showing a net payment of ₦170,282.61 for that month. The document reportedly indicated cumulative earnings of ₦5,845,601.13 recorded on the system.

The organisation expressed alarm that a public official who has left office could remain active on the government payroll for several months. “We are concerned that a public official who has left office could allegedly remain active on the government payroll system for several months,” the group stated. “Beyond the individual involved, this raises questions about the accountability of officials responsible for maintaining and supervising government payroll records.”

HEDA has requested that the ICPC investigate the circumstances behind the continued presence of Mr Nnaji’s profile on the IPPIS platform, identify those responsible for approving these disbursements, and initiate the recovery of public funds. Furthermore, the group is calling for additional charges against the former minister, including potential salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, and payroll manipulation.


Prior findings

These allegations follow reports from June, when Peoples Gazette reported that IPPIS records showed Mr Nnawas still receiving ₦1.1 million in monthly salaries. Ministry officials cited in that report indicated that the federal government had allegedly paid the former minister at least ₦12.8 million in monthly allowances since his ouster by President Tinubu.

By Dare Olawin


The Dangote Petroleum Refinery reverted to the sale of petrol in naira because importers were allegedly holding back their stocks, a management official of the company has told The PUNCH.

The official, who pleaded for anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, told our correspondent that the refinery’s decision to halt dollar-denominated fuel sales was not because the issue of crude oil shortage had been resolved.

He said the reversal was taken in the interest of the country to prevent fuel scarcity and further increases in petrol prices. According to him, the importers were deliberately holding back their stocks in anticipation of higher fuel prices.

“We took a decision in the interest of the country to start selling Premium Motor Spirit in naira, since we saw that the importers were holding back their goods, looking for a price rise,” the source said.

The Dangote refinery recently resumed the sale of petrol in naira, ending its brief dollar-denominated pricing regime. A notice issued by the refinery’s commercial department on Wednesday informed customers that the gantry price of petrol was N1,215 per litre, while the coastal price was N1,602,495 per metric tonne.

The development marked a reversal of the refinery’s decision to sell petrol in United States dollars, a move that triggered anxiety across the downstream petroleum sector and prompted emergency intervention by the Federal Government.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that independent marketers suspended the loading of petrol from the refinery after it commenced dollar-denominated sales, saying they could not source the foreign exchange required for the transactions.

The refinery had defended the decision, explaining that it was compelled to adopt dollar sales because it was no longer receiving adequate crude oil under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude initiative and had to source additional crude from the international market in dollars.

Speaking further, the source disclosed that the Dangote Group was still in talks with the Federal Government, expressing hope that the government would act in good faith once an agreement was reached. “We are still in talks with the government, but I hope that they will be sincere,” he noted.

The Dangote official also regretted that some people in government preferred exporting crude oil and importing refined petroleum products into the country. “As you know, they like to sell the crude to the traders outside the country and import the petroleum products,” he stated.

Before the Dangote refinery began operations in 2024, Nigeria had for years depended on imported petrol despite being one of Africa’s leading oil-producing countries.

The country’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna were non-functional, leaving Nigerians at the mercy of fuel importers. The period was marked by persistent fuel shortages and the controversial fuel subsidy regime.

With the commencement of operations at the Dangote refinery, the downstream sector became more decentralised. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited also ended the payment of implicit fuel subsidies, bringing an end to the long queues at filling stations.

It will be recalled that some depot owners last week raised petrol gantry prices to as high as N1,275 per litre after the Dangote refinery temporarily halted loading at its gantry.

Following the refinery’s announcement of a gantry price of N1,215 per litre, many depots reduced their prices to remain competitive. According to Petroleumprice.ng, depot prices ranged between N1,215 and N1,220 per litre on Sunday.

Similarly, pump prices of petrol are now hovering between N1,260 and N1,300 per litre, depending on the location. The PUNCH reports that the rise in petrol prices resulted from renewed tensions in the Middle East, which pushed up global oil prices.

Before closing at $96 per barrel on Friday, global oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel on Thursday for the first time in nearly two months after escalating attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea heightened fears of prolonged supply disruptions across key global energy routes.

The PUNCH reports that the latest price surge could have mixed implications for Nigeria. While higher crude prices may increase the country’s export earnings and boost government revenues, they could also raise the cost of imported refined petroleum products, worsen inflationary pressures and increase the burden on consumers if domestic supply remains insufficient.

Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says President Bola Tinubu played a pivotal role in financing the 2015 presidential campaign of late former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking in an interview with Symfoni TV, Lawal recounted his involvement in Buhari’s campaign, describing Tinubu as the financier who stepped in when the campaign council struggled to secure funding.

He said the late former president was uncomfortable discussing financial matters and rarely participated in conversations about campaign funding.

“After Buhari won the ticket, there was an issue of campaign funding. Buhari was not a money person. Anytime you discuss money, Buhari will be looking at the ceiling,” Lawal said.

“Anytime they said leaders should contribute something, Buhari developed a deaf ear. Money was not his comfort zone at all.”

Lawal said he and Timipre Sylva, former Bayelsa governor, approached a wealthy businessman believed to be sympathetic to Buhari’s candidacy in an attempt to raise campaign funds.

He said the meeting took place aboard the businessman’s yacht after the businessman declined to meet them publicly because they had become identified as prominent members of Buhari’s campaign.

Lawal said the businessman agreed to support the campaign, but Sylva later became worried after a police officer greeted him in the Ijaw language following the meeting, fearing it would be reported to then President Goodluck Jonathan.

The former secretary to the government of the federation added that Sylva’s fears proved valid.

“He (Sylva) said that sergeant is from Bayelsa and is Goodluck’s cousin. Anytime Goodluck wants to get something on you, that guy is the one they post to you. So, this meeting (with the businessman) would have reached the president’s ears by now. And it did,” Lawal said.

Lawal claimed that by the time they returned to Abuja, the businessman had already been contacted, making it virtually impossible for the campaign to obtain financial support from him.

“From that day, nobody who is rich would pick our phone,” he said.

Faced with mounting financial challenges, Lawal said he turned to Tinubu for help.

“So, I went to Bola. I said, ‘Oga, can you help us in this matter?’ And he did. Through him, we were able to raise sufficient funds to do the campaign,” Lawal said.

Lawal said Tinubu personally financed several critical aspects of the APC campaign, including the vice-presidential campaign of Yemi Osinbajo, who later served as Buhari’s deputy for eight years.

He claimed Tinubu provided a private jet for campaign activities and paid for the services of American political consultants who conducted surveys and other professional campaign operations.

“They came and transformed our campaign. I knew that the money he paid them was in excess of N2 billion equivalent in dollars,” Lawal said.

Lawal also said Tinubu personally settled major campaign expenses without routing the payments through the official campaign structure.

“If there was a need for an expenditure, no matter how massive, he didn’t come to the campaign office. He spent from his own purse,” he said.

He added that the consultants hired by Tinubu reshaped Buhari’s public image during the campaign.

“You noticed how suddenly Buhari was wearing suits. Suddenly Buhari was wearing Yoruba attire. Those people Bola brought changed the trajectory of the campaign.”

Tinubu, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, was widely regarded as one of the principal architects of the coalition that defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 presidential election, ending the party’s 16-year hold on power.

Buhari defeated Jonathan in 2015 in what remains Nigeria’s first presidential election in which an opposition candidate unseated an incumbent president.

Lawal served as secretary to the government of the federation under the Buhari administration from 2015 until his dismissal in 2017.

by Abdulqudus Ogundapo


Barely two days after a PREMIUM TIMES report detailed how Binyerem Ukaire, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, withheld essential payment files for agencies under her purview, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has launched a formal investigation.

The funds, approved by President Bola Tinubu, were intended to support the operations of several key agencies: the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Mrs Ukaire refused to process the payments because the heads of these agencies allegedly declined her request to make detailed presentations regarding their ongoing projects and financial utilisation.

Agency heads and industry experts have noted that this demand is inconsistent with established civil service practices. A circular issued by the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) explicitly directs supervising ministries to refrain from interfering in the finances of their parastatals, which are primarily accountable to their boards and ministers.


ICPC Intervention

In response to the growing concerns, the ICPC has interrogated Mrs Ukaire and the affected agency heads to determine the rationale behind the obstruction of these funds. While the investigation remains ongoing, sources confirmed that neither the Permanent Secretary nor the agency heads were detained following the questioning.

The public attention brought by the initial report has yielded results. Mrs Ukaire has since approved the payment files and transmitted them for disbursement. When contacted on Saturday, the heads of the affected agencies confirmed that the files have been forwarded and are now awaiting the final release of funds to their respective accounts.

by Zuleihat Chatta


South Korean tech billionaire Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, faces a legal ruling on Friday, July 24, 2026, that could order him to pay nearly $1 billion to his ex-wife, Roh Soh-yeong, following the dissolution of their marriage.

The retrial in the high-stakes property division suit comes nine months after the Supreme Court finalized the couple’s divorce last October, ending a marriage that began in 1988 and produced three children.

The legal battle escalated after Chey publicly disclosed in 2015 that he had fathered a child with another woman, Kim Hee-young, who is now his longtime partner.

Roh, the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo, initially resisted divorce before filing legal claims over marital infidelity and financial contributions to SK Group’s growth.

A previous 2024 court ruling ordered Chey to transfer 35 percent of his assets, then valued at nearly $1 billion, to Roh. However, the Supreme Court overturned that decision on appeal, citing improper calculations regarding financial contributions from Roh’s father toward the business empire.

With SK Group’s shares rising significantly over the past year, doubling Chey’s estimated fortune to roughly $5 billion, the court’s final ruling on the property division marks the conclusion of one of South Korea’s most expensive corporate divorce cases.

By Daily Trust


Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s latest allegations against him, describing them as a desperate attempt to rewrite history and confer political advantage on his preferred candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the former President’s decision to accuse him of bribing the late Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba to impeach him was not only reckless but fundamentally unfair to a man who is no longer alive to defend his name.

“As Africans, we understand the solemn duty of speaking truthfully about the dead. It is therefore deeply troubling that former President Obasanjo has chosen this moment to allege that I gave the late Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba a bribe to impeach him.”

“If this allegation were true, why did he never make it while Rt. Hon. Na’Abba was alive? Why wait until the only man who could confirm or refute the claim has departed this world? By invoking a deceased man as the principal witness to such a grave allegation, former President Obasanjo has denied Nigerians the opportunity of hearing the other side of the story.

“The late Rt. Hon. Ghali Na’Abba cannot now defend his own integrity or respond to the allegation that he accepted a bribe. It is unfair to his memory and contrary to our cultural values to conscript the dead into contemporary political battles when they no longer have a voice.”

Atiku noted that the allegations themselves are not supported by any judicial finding or official determination.

“If there was indeed evidence of any criminal conduct as alleged, Nigerians are entitled to ask why no action was taken at the time by a government that wielded the full powers of the Nigerian state.”

The former Vice President said it is difficult to ignore the political timing of the recycled allegations.

“Coming at a time when the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election is taking shape, the obvious objective is to besmirch my person and reputation and confer an undeserved political advantage on the former President’s kinsman. Nigerians, however, know better. They are too discerning to be distracted by stale allegations resurrected for political convenience.”

Atiku maintained that the roots of the former President’s hostility towards him are well known.

“My offence was that I stood firmly against the unconstitutional third-term agenda. As a democrat, I chose the path of constitutionalism and the rule of law. Rather than surrender democratic principles on the altar of personal ambition, I defended the Constitution and successfully asserted my rights through the courts in a series of landmark legal victories against a sitting President. Those battles are now part of Nigeria’s democratic history. It is evident that the bitterness arising from that defining period has failed to leave former President Obasanjo.”

He said he would not be distracted into exchanging words over historical political disputes while Nigeria grapples with unprecedented economic hardship, rising insecurity, mass unemployment, hunger and disturbing questions surrounding the management of public resources.

“The task before leaders today is not to rewrite history but to rescue the future. Nigerians are more interested in knowing why food prices continue to soar, why public debt continues to rise despite increased revenues, and why scandal after scandal continues to trail the current administration than in revisiting political disagreements from over two decades ago.”

Atiku added that while former President Obasanjo is entitled to support any candidate of his choice, he should do so openly.

“If former President Obasanjo has chosen to take a political position ahead of 2027, he should simply declare it and allow Nigerians to judge it on its merits, rather than attempting to influence public opinion through allegations that can no longer be tested because the principal witness is no longer alive.

“Our focus remains unwavering: offering credible alternatives, defending democracy, demanding accountability and working with all patriotic Nigerians to restore competent, transparent and people-centred leadership to our country. Nigerians deserve solutions to today’s problems, not recycled political tales from yesterday.”

By Fawzi Kehinde


A former adult film actress, Deyci Alejandra Omaña Ortiz, has been sworn in as a senator in Colombia.

Ortiz, popularly known by her stage name, Amaranta Hank, secured the seat after a March election victory on a platform advocating rights and protections for adult entertainment workers.

According to Colombian outlet El Tiempo on Thursday, Omaña will represent Colombia’s Norte de Santander region as part of the leftist Historic Pact bloc for the 2026-2030 parliamentary term, having placed 23rd on the coalition’s closed list.

The Historic Pact is currently the strongest political force in the country, with data from Colombia’s National Registry showing the bloc secured 22.72 per cent of the Senate vote, more than 4.4 million ballots, translating to 25 seats.

The lawmaker, who transitioned from journalism into the adult film industry before returning to public life, has said her past should not stand in the way of her legislative work.

According to Infobae Colombia, she argues that women who have worked in the sexual economy contribute meaningfully to the country’s finances and deserve legal recognition rather than continued stigma.

She pushed back against critics questioning her fitness for office in a TikTok video addressing the controversy around her win. “¿Por qué una mujer que estuvo en la industria para adultos no puede aspirar a un cargo de elección popular?” she asked, which translates to why a woman who was in the adult industry cannot aspire to a popularly elected office.

Omaña, born in the city of Cúcuta, has said her broader agenda in the Senate will also include mental health and sexual abuse initiatives.

Her emergence marks one of the most closely watched developments in Colombian politics in recent years, coming months after her appointment, alongside fellow former performer Juan Carlos Florián, as a deputy minister in the Ministry of Equality had already stirred controversy within President Gustavo Petro’s cabinet.

By Romanus Ugwu


The raging storm that engulfed the All Progressives Congress (APC), before and after its primary elections to select candidates for next year’s general election, appears to be subsiding gradually, following the successful uploading of the party’s presidential and National Assembly candidates to the dedicated portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

But Daily Sun can exclusively report that the calm on the surface conceals months of turmoil that have left the party’s national secretariat in Abuja largely deserted and its officials operating from undisclosed locations amid deep internal division.

Although the ruling party sounded boastful after meeting the deadline to upload the details of its flag-bearers, thereby putting to rest confusion over winners and losers, particularly around the fiercely contested National Assembly seats and the status of the vice presidential candidate, the process leading up to that point was, for many aspirants, months of agony, apprehension, depression and psychological torment. Those who took part in the primary exercise were subjected to harrowing experiences while they waited for the Presidency, the party’s national leadership and the Primary Elections Appeal Committee to reconcile the outcome of the actual voting with the appeal committee’s own findings.

It was a period of anxious uncertainty, intriguing speculation, horse trading, high-level scheming, lobbying and peaceful and violent protests at state and national levels. It was a period that consumed a sitting governor in Rivers State, denying him the chance to secure the ticket to seek re-election, and one that triggered a cataclysmic battle between political rivals and godfathers that threatened to shake the ruling party to its foundations.

Curiously, the national secretariat of the ruling party, which ought to have been the theatre of this war, has instead become its greatest casualty, remaining a ghost enclave, a shadow of its usual bustling self, since the conclusion of the primary elections for next year’s polls.

This is not without precedent. The desertion of the ruling party’s headquarters after major primaries has happened before, though never on this scale since the APC took over the reins of government in 2015, when the late former President Muhammadu Buhari defeated then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. In previous election cycles, the party’s national headquarters was typically a beehive, with members thronging the premises for peaceful and sometimes violent protests, or simply to pay thank-you visits to the national leadership in appreciation of one favour or another. Either way, the secretariat would always wear the mood of a ruling party that had successfully concluded a crucial stage of its electoral timetable.

Not even during the era of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman, when much of the party’s activity was relocated to a private residence on Aso Drive in Abuja, did the national headquarters fall into the kind of dormancy and abandonment it has experienced since the conclusion of this year’s primaries.

The reality today, Daily Sun can confirm, is that the national secretariat has, for months, been devoid of any serious activity, fuelling speculation that National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and members of his National Working Committee have quietly diverted post-primary business to various locations where they have temporarily relocated. The situation has become so dire that secretariat staff have resorted to carrying confidential official files outside the building simply to track down officers willing to append their signatures to documents.

Those officers, however, appear to have learnt from history, choosing not to take the risks their predecessors took in 2019 and 2023, when protesters barricaded the secretariat’s gate and officials had to scale the fence or slip away in tinted cars to escape angry crowds. Sources say that, perhaps rattled by intense pressure from disgruntled and shortchanged aspirants, the party’s leadership erred on the side of caution, relocating its operational base first to the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, where it functioned only skeletally, before shifting more recently to another undisclosed location, reportedly due to concerns over the porosity of the five star hotel as a secure base.

Keen observers attribute this pattern of behaviour to fears of a possible breakdown in security at the secretariat, given the number of aspirants nursing deep wounds of betrayal after losing out in the primaries through what they view as the actions, and inactions, of major stakeholders working in concert with state governors. While some party officials have attributed the abandonment of the secretariat to other commitments, including the inspection of APC executed projects across the Federal Capital Territory, the persistent inactivity cannot, Daily Sun understands, be divorced from the bitterness and fallout of a shoddily managed primary process.

From the bitter outcome of primaries conducted across the country, where many stakeholders still feel deeply wronged, to the widening cracks within the APC Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, the ruling party is, by several accounts, still bleeding from the consequences of its own primary elections. Secretariat staff say national officers have largely confined themselves to skeletal operations, receiving only a handful of visitors and preferring to conduct serious business away from the headquarters. On the rare occasions the national chairman has visited the secretariat, he has typically left in haste after receiving dignitaries on courtesy calls or addressing protesting party members, always accompanied by a heavily fortified security detail.

The scale of the dysfunction became starkly apparent when newly re-elected Ekiti State governor Biodun Oyebanji was unable to visit the national secretariat to perform the customary ceremonial presentation of his certificate of return, a long standing tradition within the party.

While some observers link the anomie at the secretariat to the uneasy calm within the PGF and the party leadership’s handling of the post-primary fallout, many others believe the situation would not have deteriorated to this extent had it not been for the far reaching implications of the amended Electoral Act, which barred aspirants from contesting primaries under more than one political party.

Among those who hold this view is Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, who, speaking exclusively to Daily Sun, described the APC as the architect of its own misfortune. He argued that the ruling party had set what it believed was a bumpy trap intended to frustrate opposition parties when it spearheaded the adoption of either consensus or direct primaries across board, only to fall squarely into the very snare it had designed for others.

“I am not surprised by the crisis in the APC as a result of the fallout of the primary elections,” Abdullahi said. “The APC set a trap for the opposition when they insisted on either consensus or direct mode of primaries. They thought they set a trap for us, but they fell into their own trap. They are the biggest victim of their own trap. They felt that they could use the power of incumbency to force and muscle people. We didn’t have that power, so we went to conduct primaries, and Nigerians can see that we, at least, don’t have as many issues. Yes, aggrieved stakeholders protested, but we don’t have issues as worrisome as the APC.”

He went further, mocking the ruling party’s predicament. “The APC is now caught in a web of major crisis, and I am very, very glad to see what has happened. When they started that Electoral Act, we won the National Assembly against surrendering their political survival to President Tinubu.

But they instead started begging him then to give them their mandate back so that all of them will have an automatic ticket. They no longer think that their political survival is in the hands of the people that voted for them in the first place. They placed their survival in the hands of the President. They forgot that when they do that, they disempowered themselves. We warned them to be very careful with that Electoral Act, and not to do anything that will kill the opposition, but they were very busy singing, on your mandate we shall stand. But now they are no longer able to stand on any mandate. They have collapsed on the mandate,” he said.

True to Abdullahi’s assessment, grievances arising from the legislative primaries have proved to be the ruling party’s single biggest headache. Strikingly, while the national leadership outrightly disqualified several aspirants, including sitting legislators, from contesting the primaries altogether, it went further to substitute a number of candidates who had already emerged winners, citing the recommendations of its Primary Election Appeal Committee. The final list of disqualified and replaced candidates forwarded to INEC includes seven senatorial candidates and nineteen House of Representatives candidates who had originally emerged victorious during primaries conducted in May.

Although the party’s leadership has pinned the reason for these changes squarely on the Appeal Committee’s report, the reality on ground, according to sources, is that many of the affected candidates were casualties of a fierce power struggle between competing blocs within the party, comprising state governors, party chieftains and forces aligned with the presidency.

States including Kogi, Abia, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi were among the worst affected, largely as a result of clashes between the presidency, federal appointees and their respective state governors.

In official correspondence sent to INEC and co-signed by National Chairman Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru, the party sought to justify the changes. “We write to formally forward the attached list of the party’s candidates for the affected senatorial and House of Representatives candidates constituencies arising from the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee,” the letter read.

“Following the determination of appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the Reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed and subsequently considered and approved by NWC of the APC as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies. In accordance with the Electoral Act 2022, as amended, and INEC’s regulations and guidelines, we hereby transmit the enclosed list of the approved candidates for seven senatorial districts and nineteen House of Representatives constituencies for your records and necessary action. Please accept the assurance of our highest regards.”

However, seeking to dispel any notion that the fallout from the primaries has left the party fractured, National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka insisted that the process, though painful for some, remained entirely legitimate.

“Primary election is a process not an event,” Morka said. “What takes place in the field on the day of primary is just a part of the process that started with the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms, screening, and so on. We have the appeal process after the primaries established at the same time with the Primary Election Committee. It is usually populated by individuals carefully chosen by the party’s leadership for that purpose. We understand that people will be dissatisfied with the outcome of the elections and have the right to a recourse procedure to challenge what may have happened. That appeal process is an integral part of the primary election process, not a separate process. It is not also a process invented by the party to cause mischief but a process embedded in the constitution and guidelines of the party to enable those that participated in the process to seek remedy where they feel some irregularities occurred which prevented them from succeeding in that election.”

He continued: “Yes, names may have been declared as winners in some areas after the primaries, which is valid. However, when those that lost out petitioned the Appeal Committee, that process is also valid, and that is what happened in our case. We received over 720 petitions from the contestants in the primaries. The Appeal Committee reviewed the petitions and made recommendations to the NWC, which, in its wisdom, took responsibility as the ultimate duty bearer to review the Appeal Committee report and reevaluate the cases, and at the end made those changes allegedly causing problem. These are legitimate outcomes of our primaries, not any form of mischief.”

Although the ruling party has consistently played down the intrigue that ultimately led President Tinubu and the party to announce Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate, the fallout of the primary elections remains a ghost that continues to haunt it. Yet Morka insists the party faces no existential threat. “I am not aware that those that the Appeal Panel recommended, that those that did not participate in the primary, were handed tickets as candidates of our party,” he said.

However, the party’s leadership chooses to frame the situation, what appears incontrovertible is that many aggrieved, founding and loyal members of the party now harbour deep resentment likely to manifest during the general election itself. “This is the nature of election contestation,” Morka acknowledged.

“When multiple people compete in an election, every contestant goes into it hoping to win. Yes, they are party members and supporters that spent money, they have high expectations that they will win, and when they don’t, naturally the losers have reasons to be dissatisfied. That is why we took our time to meticulously go through the appeal processes to ensure that we considered every case according to its merit. Our conflict management systems are activated already to reassure such individuals like them that nobody has been favoured with the ticket. The good thing is that the number of substitutions is very insignificant, about four per cent of the total number of participants. The other 96 per cent were successful.”

Regardless of how pessimists choose to view the situation, Morka remained defiant in his message to what he described as prophets of doom within and outside the party. “The beautiful thing about the APC is that we have a lot of titans across so many states that command a lot of influence, respect and followership determined to back the fortunes of the party in their states,” he said. “The competition for our state is very high. This may appear to certain persons as indicating a problem, but to us, it shows that our party is vibrant and its leaders committed to the progress of our party.”

By Faruk Shuaibu


There have been questions over the expenditure of N7.13 trillion by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on energy security in 2024.

The figure was contained in the NNPCL’s 2024 audit report which was released in November 2025.

Although the company did not specifically explain what the money was meant for, experts said it could be for fuel subsidy payment or protection of gas pipelines.

Amid the controversy, the NNPCL has kept mum. Its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, did not respond to phone calls and a message sent to his mobile telephone line yesterday by Daily Trust.

The NNPCL’s audit report, which termed the funds as Under Recovery/Energy Security Expense, stated, “In line with Section 64(M) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the cost incurred by NNPC Limited (Group) as the energy supplier of last resort for energy security reasons, and all associated cost shall be on the account of the Federation.”

The report also said the government instructed that NNPCL could not sell its Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) above a certain regulated price, but the cost of importing this PMS is usually much higher than this regulated price.

“The under recovery is essentially the difference between the actual landing cost of the product and the regulated price. This balance is used to reduce the cost of sales of the Group. The corresponding entry is either used to reduce the liability due to the Federation or used as a receivable from the Federation.”

It added that PMS cost under recovery is recognised where there is reasonable assurance that it will be received and all attached conditions has been complied with.

“When it relates to an expense item, they are deducted in reporting the related expense in cost of sales.”

Thus, it said the money the federal government is owing it due to its interventions in energy stability during the year amounted to N17.512 trillion.

It listed the debt as “energy security cost” which amounted to N8.67 trillion and ‘other receivables from federation’ at N8.840 trillion.

It explained that the security cost during the year (2024) was made up of energy security expense of N7.1 trillion and N4.8 trillion for 2023.

“The energy security expense arises when there is differential between the exchange rates (the Modulation factor) used to freeze the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) Ex-coastal Price and the prevailing exchange rate at the point of import settlement. The amount is receivable to the Group as they are defrayed and charged against amounts due to the Federation in line with the provision of Section 64(m) of the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021,” it explained.

The report also disclosed that other receivables relate to advance payment to the federation and the security costs incurred in protecting the oil and gas assets.

According to the report, this is under the framework of approval between the Government of Nigeria and the Group to incur security costs and charge same to the Federation.


ADC demands accountability

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NNPCL and the National Assembly to publicly account for trillions of naira reportedly spent on energy security, questioning what Nigeria has gained from the expenditure.

The opposition party made the demand in a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, while reacting to figures contained in the recently audited financial accounts of NNPCL for the 2024 financial year.

According to Abdullahi, the audited accounts showed that N7.13 trillion was recorded under “Energy Security” in 2024, a figure he claimed rose to about N17.5 trillion when other fuel-related costs and receivables reflected in the accounts are included.

According to him, the scale of the expenditure raises serious questions that deserve immediate public explanation.

“Only a few years ago, Nigerians debated a pipeline surveillance contract worth about N48 billion. Today, the audited accounts record N7.13 trillion under ‘Energy Security’ for 2024. When other fuel-related costs and receivables reflected in the accounts are taken into consideration, the amount rises to about N17.5 trillion,” Abdullahi said.

He said while safeguarding Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure remains a legitimate national priority, spending under the guise of security should not be shielded from public scrutiny.

“The bigger the bill, the stronger the obligation to explain it,” he added.

The party also referenced public reports identifying Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd, a company linked to former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, as a major beneficiary of pipeline surveillance contracts.

It alleged that Tompolo had recently emerged as a prominent supporter of President Tinubu’s re-election campaign, arguing that the development makes transparency over the contracts even more necessary.

According to the ADC, Nigerians deserve to know whether public funds allocated for pipeline protection are being used strictly for national security purposes or whether they have become intertwined with political activities.

The party, therefore, demanded details of all energy security and pipeline surveillance contracts awarded since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

“In this regard, Nigerians are entitled to know how much has been spent on pipeline surveillance and energy security since President Bola Tinubu came into office in May 2023, who received the contracts, how much was paid, what results were achieved, and whether any independent value-for-money assessment was carried out,” Abdullahi stated.

Abdullahi said the questions had become even more urgent at a time many Nigerians are struggling with rising food prices, transport costs, electricity tariffs and unemployment.

“The ADC consequently urged President Tinubu, the management and board of NNPC Ltd., as well as the relevant committees of the National Assembly, to immediately publish the full details of the energy security expenditure.

“The question is no longer how much was spent. The question is what Nigeria has to show for it,” the statement concluded.


You can’t build prosperity on deception – Atiku

Also, a former vice president and presidential candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the economic reform of President Tinubu.

He alleged that “the bankruptcy of the administration’s so-called reforms was more than the fuel subsidy deception”.

He said Nigerians were told in 2023 that the subsidy was gone and were compelled to endure unprecedented hardship—skyrocketing fuel prices, crushing transportation costs, runaway inflation and a collapsing standard of living—in the name of economic reform.

“Yet NNPC Limited’s own audited 2024 financial statements reveal that a staggering N7.13 trillion was still expended on what it describes as ‘Energy Security Expenses,’ a category the company itself identifies as petrol subsidy, otherwise known as under-recovery.

“This means Nigerians were never told the whole truth. The subsidy was not eliminated; it was merely repackaged, renamed and quietly charged to the Federation. A government that conceals N7.13 trillion behind a convenient euphemism while demanding sacrifice from millions of struggling citizens cannot claim the moral authority to preach reform, prudence or fiscal discipline.

“Nigerians deserve to know who authorised this expenditure, who benefited from it, and why the administration chose to market deception as economic reform.”

According to Atiku, the pattern demonstrates that the problem is no longer one of isolated errors but a systemic breakdown in budget discipline.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the two independent reports had stripped away the propaganda surrounding the administration’s economic reforms and revealed what he described as a painful truth: that Nigeria is not failing because of a lack of resources, but because of a profound failure of leadership.

“For more than three years, Nigerians have been subjected to relentless hardship. They were told that fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, higher taxes and rising tariffs were bitter pills that would eventually restore economic stability. Yet today, the same government cannot explain how more than N210 billion found its way into duplicated and overlapping budget provisions.

“When a government asks its people to sacrifice, it must first demonstrate discipline. Instead, what Nigerians have seen is a budget riddled with duplication, questionable insertions, overlapping projects and expenditures that offend both common sense and fiscal responsibility.”


‘N17.5trn NNPCL debt is fuel subsidy in disguise’

Commenting on the matter, a former chairman of the Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) and 22nd president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dele Kelvin Oye, alleged that the N17.5 trillion debt is a disguised fuel subsidy.

He said Nigeria is currently operating the most expensive subsidy programme in its history despite the government’s claimed removal of the subsidy.

Oye, in a statement, said the huge liability, accumulated through what NNPC describes as “energy security expenses,” “under-recovery” and other receivables, represents a continuation of the subsidy regime under a different name.

He said the government’s 2023 announcement of fuel subsidy removal did not eliminate the financial burden but merely transformed it into an accounting arrangement that has placed additional pressure on public finances.

He said: “Nigeria is currently executing the most expensive subsidy program in its history, yet almost no one is calling it by its true name. A N17.5 trillion liability has been accumulated in the shadows, hidden behind accounting terminologies designed to obscure rather than illuminate.

“This is not energy security; it is fiscal capture, the systematic transfer of public wealth through mechanisms that evade democratic oversight. The Petroleum Industry Act was designed to dismantle such opaque structures, not to be weaponized to legitimize them.

“Three years after the declaration that “subsidy is gone,” the burden has never been heavier. It has merely been rebranded. And that, tragically, is the most expensive word game in Nigerian history.”

According to him, NNPC’s 2024 financial statements showed that the Federation’s obligations to the company had risen to about N17.5 trillion, comprising energy security expenses, under-recovery claims and other receivables, noting that the development raises concerns over transparency, accountability and the sustainability of Nigeria’s petroleum policy.

“The subsidy did not vanish; it metamorphosed. Today, the Federation owes NNPC a staggering N17.5 trillion, an exposure nearly double the N9.36 trillion recorded in 2023. The anatomy of this colossal liability is as stark as it is revealing: N7.13 trillion categorized as “Energy Security Expense”, N8.67 trillion labeled as “Under-Recovery” and N8.84 trillion grouped under “Other Receivables from the Federation”.

He called for a comprehensive forensic audit of all energy security expenses and related claims, arguing that Nigerians deserve clarity on the financial obligations being accumulated in their name.

Prof. Dayo Ayoade, an energy law expert at the University of Lagos, said: “Now, what do we mean by energy security? I think that is part of the problem, you need to tell us what exactly energy security includes; if it means ensuring fuel supply to the country, maintaining our petrol infrastructure, protecting our oil and gas assets or involve financing Naira for crude, is that part of the energy security? That’s part of it.

“So, these are the things that we need to look at. Then, on the other hand, if energy security is them paying for all sorts of government policy costs that cannot be itemized, or implicit subsidies, then that could become more difficult to justify. Then the other issue as a lawyer I would ask is that, did the NNPC board authorize all these payments by themselves? Because this could now become problematic, because if they are spending the money and approving the money, that means there are no checks and balances. In other words, we are back to subsidies without subsidies. That’s a particularly difficult governance issue for the Nigerian government to look into.”

“So, we have to be very careful so that we don’t use energy security in quotes to defeat the explanation that is required about the commercial basis of this expenditure. NNPCL controls those costs, and the governance protocols that were implemented to safeguard public money because the public has a right to know as to whether the monies we are talking about are capital expenditures or operating expenditures. If it was capital expenditures, what are the projects involved, what is the benefit to the country of those projects, both commercial and in addition to energy security.”

On his part, a renowned professor of petroleum economics, Wumi Iledare, said the concerns raised over the energy security in NNPCL’s 2024 audited financial statements deserve objective attention.

He, however, said it is important to distinguish between corporate governance and public finance, stating that the NNPCL is a limited liability company governed by its Board of Directors.

“The reported expenditure is a corporate expense, and the Board has the fiduciary responsibility to ensure it is justified, properly disclosed, and consistent with the company’s strategic objectives. The tax authorities also have the statutory mandate to examine the legitimacy and tax treatment of such expenditures where necessary.”

“Nevertheless, N7.1 trillion is a significant amount, especially in the post-fuel subsidy era. It therefore deserves a clear professional explanation. Energy security is not limited to protecting oil and gas assets; it includes ensuring the availability, accessibility, affordability, and adaptability of energy supplies. Achieving these objectives often requires substantial investments in infrastructure protection, surveillance, technology, emergency response, and supply chain resilience.”

According to him, the key issue is not whether the NNPCL spent money on energy security, but whether the expenditure was appropriately classified, transparently disclosed, economically justified and delivered measurable value.

by Emmanuel Oladesu,


“I did not kill him, he died on top of me,” that was the confession of the lady who was with former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, when he suddenly passed on.

A retired security operative, Dennis Amachree, said the lady, a pharmacist, made the confession when he interrogated her over Abacha’s mysterious death.

Amachree, who gave his own version of Abacha’s last moments, clarified that the former military ruler passed on around 4.05 am on June 8, 1998, at the Aso Villa, Abuja, in the presence of the lady during an intimate affair.

Gen. Abacha was Nigeria’s military ruler between November 1993 and July 1998 when he suddenly passed on.

He was the seventh military leader. He died at 54.

Given the manner of his death, there were speculations about what killed him and the circumstances of his death.

“The lady pharmacist’s account, on whom Abacha apparently had a coitus-induced cardiac arrest, remains the true position, and puts an end to the conspiracy theories and half-truths that have gone viral,” he stressed.

Amachree, who was the Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos State SSS Command, at the time of Abacha’s death, emphasised that “any other narrative is an act of deceit and a disservice to our countrymen and women.”

He made the revelation in his 348-paged book, just released, titled: ‘DSS @40: My journey behind the shield. The retired Assistant Director of Department of State Services (DSS) said after witnessing Abacha’s death, the lady-pharmacist immediately joined the next flight to Lagos.

Amachree stated in Chapter 17 of the book titled: ‘The months of death: A turning point in Nigerian history,’ that he interrogated the lady in Ogudu, Lagos, following a call from the Director of Operations at the DSS National Headquarters.

He said: “My team located and brought her to my office. I interrogated her myself. The first thing she said to me was : ‘I did not kill him, he died on top of me.’ After her detailed account, I called the Director in Abuja, and she was immediately flown back.”.

Abacha died barely a month before the death of Chief Moshood Abiola, winner of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, on July 7, 1998, who was in Abacha’s custody.

Following the protest and furore that followed Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s annulment of Abiola’s victory, he stepped aside and installed an unelected civilian Chief Ernest Shonekan as interim head of state with General Abacha as defence minister.

Nigerians roundly rejected the arrangement and Gen. Abacha took that advantage to force out Chief Shonekan, barely three months after. Gen. Abacha then became the head of state and a full blown dictator.

Amachree noted that “Abacha’s five and half year rule was a period of extreme authoritarianism and brutal repression, adding that his regime was widely condemned for widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and extra-,judicial killings.

The author said “the number of political detainees during his tenure reportedly exceeded the total from the entire British colonial period.

Few days before he died, the dictator received emmisaries from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader, Yasser Arafat. He also received Pope John Paul 11, who had visited Nigeria to plea for the release of detainees.

Indeed, the Pope was the last visitor that Gen. Abacha received.

Amachree acknowledged the enduring speculation and misery surrounding Abacha’s death, consequent upon the conflicting narratives. Many accounts were published, but few were based on verifiable facts. “These range from fictional stories of a poisoned apple from disaffected soldiers, to more sensational claims involving foreign intelligence agencies.


Setting the record straight

The author disputed the claims of six people, whose narratives never resolved the riddle.

The first is David Orr of The Irish Times. Of his speculation, the author stated: “A journalist’s account cited an unnamed diplomat claiming Abacha was poisoned by a small group of disaffected military officers. While dramatic, this narrative was contradicted by a Nigerian newspaper report citing autopsy results that ruled out poisoning.”

On Susan Rice’s testimony, Amachree said:” The former US National Security Advisor’s account, while condescending, echoed the widespread rumour that Abacha died in the company of prostitutes, possibly due to Viagra use. This version, while popular, lacks concrete evidence and is dismissed by those close to the late Head of State.”

He also rejected Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha’s account, saying: “As Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, his account is often considered a key source, though it contains notable inconsistencies. He claimed Abacha’s health collapsed after a handshake with a security guard of a visiting dignitary. This version, while exonerating the “poisoned apple” theory, differs significantly from other timelines and accounts.”

Also dismissing the late Gen. Jeremiah Useni’s suggestions, Amachree said: “A close friend of Abacha, Useni’s narrative provides a different timeline of events, contradicting Al-Mustapha’s account regarding the final hours. He supported the official story of death by natural causes, citing autopsy results from multiple countries.”

The opinion of a medical officer, Brig-General Oviemo Ovadje, was also rejected. “His account offers a different perspective, suggesting Abacha’s death was a result of long- term health issues exacerbated by poor medical management, including the use of steroids.”

The author dismissed Femi Fani-Kayode’s speculation. He said the former Aviation Minister’s social media posts present a conspiracy theory alleging a CIA-orchestrated plot involving a poisoned handshake, with the complicity of other former Nigerian leaders.

“While lacking evidence, this narrative highlights the deep-seated public distrust and willingness to believe external forces are pulling the strings.”

Amachree said the most sensational of these stories of imported Indian prostitutes, a poisoned apple, and CIA involvement have been widely circulated, muddying the historical record.

He said he therefore, decided to clarify the authentic and accurate fact. “As a security professional who was in the thick of it, I feel compelled to set the record straight and provide the true narrative for posterity, the author added.

The most important account was that of Al-Mustapha, being the closest officer to him. He has consistently tried to defend his late boss’ image, attributing his death to a mysterious handshake from a foreign security operative.

He claimed that Abacha’s health declined after shaking hands with a member of PLO leader Yasser Arafat’s entourage on June 8.

According to his account, Abacha was stabilised by a doctor at 6pm and was receiving visitors until Gen. Useni left at 3.35pm the following day. Al- Mustapha’s explanation ends there, claiming he went home to rest and was only alerted to Abacha’s instability at 5 am.

Amachree insisted that Al-Mustapha’s account has a critical gap, stressing that “ he missed the one and half window after Gen. Useni’s departure that provides the key to the mystery.”

In paragraph five of page 250 sub-titled: ‘The final hours,’ the retired Assistant DSS Director gave a full details of Abacha’s last moments.

His account: “At approximately 2.40 am, shortly after Gen. Useni left, Abacha’s girlfriend, an Igbo lady (name withheld), arrived at the Aso Rock Guest House from the Nicon Nogs Hilton Hotel. With her was her younger sister, a pharmacist who was in Abuja for a conference. The Head of State had just bought his girlfriend a new SUV, and they decided to stop by to say hello to “ Oga.”

“Abacha was taken with the younger sister, and after a short while, the girlfriend returned to the hotel, leaving the pharmacist alone with the Head of State. At about 4.05 am, as they were getting intimate, the pharmacist realized Abacha had stopped moving. She called out to him, but he was unresponsive and stiff. She checked his pulse; there was none.

“In a state of panic, she quickly dressed and left the guest house, telling the soldier in guard duty that “Oga” had asked for a car to take her back to her hotel. The soldier, unaware of the gravity of the situation, promptly arranged for her transportation. She returned to the Hilton, and after telling her sister what had happened, was quickly driven to the Abuja Airport to catch the 7.am Okada Airline flight to Lagos.


Search for the last guest

“This is the window Major Al-Mustapha missed. When he was finally informed of Abacha’s instability at 5 am, he asked who had been with the General. He was told about the girlfriend’s younger sister, whom they had just dropped off at the Hilton. The State Security Service (SSS) was immediately informed and went to the Hilton to arrest the girlfriend, but the pharmacist they urgently needed was already on her way to Lagos.”

In paragraph five of page 251 sub-titled: ‘The interrogation and the truth,’ Amachree stated: “At approximately 8 am on June 9, 1998, as the Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos State SSS Command, I received a call from the Director of Operations at SSS National Headquarters. He informed me of Abacha’s death and ordered me to send operatives to an address in Ogudu, Lagos, to arrest a young pharmacist.

“My team located and brought her to my office. I interrogated her myself. The first thing she said to me was: “I did not kill him, he died on top of me.” After her detailed account, I called the Director in Abuja, and she was immediately flown back.”

Amachree recalled that “later that day, the news broke, and the media, with their “fertile imagination,” began to spin takes of imported Indian girls and poisoned apples.”

Alluding to what he described as the broader implications of the falsehood, he said: “The confusion surrounding Abacha’s death is a microcosm of a larger problem in Nigeria: a leadership culture steeped in falsehood and a lack of accountability.”

He added that “ the deliberate suppression of facts and the promotion of misinformation by those who should be held to a higher standard have kept the country in a retrogressive circle.”

Amachree warned that power is transient and no condition is permanent.

He said: “Abacha, a military dictator who surrounded himself with a seemingly impenetrable security detail, thought he was invincible. Yet, in the end, death kept it’s appointment with him, rendering his concentric rings of security useless.

“His story is a poignant reminder that power is transient and that no amount of security can shield a leader from their ultimate fate.”

The author raised some puzzles: why did the Generals, close aides and politicians deliberately propagate false narratives about Abacha’s death? Who fed the media with these fake stories?

Warning against fabrications, Amachree said: “While the truth may be suppressed temporarily, the forces of human curiosity and investigative inquiry will ultimately bring it to light.”

Before Abacha died he had perfect the plan for self succession.

He wanted to transmit from military dictator to civilian president.

He formed five political party, put his men in charge of all of them and made all of them to adopt him as their presidential candidate.

The parties were struggling to do his bidding while giving the impression of a transition to democracy.

A former political leader and second republic governor of Oyo State the late Chief Bola Ige famously described the five parties as five fingers of a leprous hand.

The United Nations has raised concerns over the growing sophistication of terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria and across West Africa and the Sahel, warning that they are increasingly deploying drones, advanced communication technology and cryptocurrencies to strengthen their operations.

The warning was delivered by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Simão, during a briefing to the UN Security Council.

Presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report on developments in the region, covering the period from November 29, 2025, to June 30, 2026, Simão said extremist groups were becoming more adaptive and difficult to combat.

The briefing took place as the Security Council reviewed the political, security and humanitarian situation in West Africa and the Sahel, following its decision to extend UNOWAS’ mandate until January 31, 2029.

According to Simão, armed groups are increasingly relying on emerging technologies to coordinate cross-border attacks and expand their influence.

“Armed groups are increasingly using drones, sophisticated communications and cryptocurrencies while coordinating operations across borders,” he told the Council.

He noted that terrorist activities had become closely linked with transnational organised crime, enabling the groups to strengthen their territorial and economic control while undermining state authority.

“The problem is acute, especially in the central Sahel and northern Nigeria,” Simão said.

“Their actions intersect with transnational organised crime and are aimed at consolidating territorial and economic control, eroding public confidence in state authority and causing serious damage to social cohesion.”

The UN official said Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso continue to record persistent terrorist attacks, kidnappings and heavy civilian casualties.

He disclosed that insecurity across the region has displaced about 6.8 million people, while an additional 1.28 million have fled their homes as refugees or asylum seekers.

Simão added that women, children and young people remain the worst affected by the humanitarian crisis, noting that escalating violence and inadequate funding have significantly hampered relief efforts.

Despite the security challenges, he highlighted signs of improving regional cooperation, including the reopening of the Kamba border crossing between Nigeria and Niger.

He also commended progress by the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission in implementing the 2002 International Court of Justice judgment on the two countries’ land and maritime boundary.

“These are some examples of regional efforts towards dialogue,” he said.

Simão stressed that military operations alone would not defeat terrorism, urging governments to complement security measures with policies that tackle poverty, unemployment and other socio-economic conditions that fuel violent extremism.

“Fighting poverty and vulnerability must therefore remain a common objective in the broader fight against terrorism. Regional actors are working hard to find solutions,” he said.

He further disclosed that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is making renewed efforts to operationalise its standby force, although the initiative continues to face significant funding constraints.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has insisted that it supplied all available crude oil cargoes allocated under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude initiative to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, saying there had been no withholding on its part.

The national oil company stated this even as a top management official of the Dangote Group disclosed exclusively to The PUNCH that the refinery was receiving just four million barrels of crude oil monthly under the arrangement, instead of about 13 million barrels envisaged after President Bola Tinubu’s 2024 directive.

The refinery had attributed its decision to switch from naira-denominated fuel sales to dollar transactions to the crude supply shortfall, saying it would also increase exports of refined petroleum products to earn foreign exchange.

Responding on Monday, the NNPC, through its spokesman, Andy Odeh, said the company had fully discharged its obligations under the naira-for-crude policy. “As a 7.25 per cent equity shareholder in Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, NNPC Limited has a direct and genuine interest in seeing the refinery operate at full capacity. That is not in dispute.

“What the figures being cited require is context. Under the naira-denominated crude supply arrangement, NNPC Limited has allocated 100 per cent of all available naira crude cargoes to DPRP in 2026 — there has been no withholding on our part. Actual off-take in any period is shaped by several variables: crude availability, nomination timelines, and the refinery’s own operational scheduling.

Odeh said the NNPC has met its obligations to the refinery, saying the two parties are resolving any existing gaps together. “NNPC Limited has met its 2026 supply obligations to the refinery. Our engagement with DPRP management remains constructive, and where any gaps exist, we are resolving them together — as the partners we are.

“A fully supplied, fully operational Dangote refinery serving the Nigerian market is an obligation NNPC Limited shares without reservation,” he added.

However, the Dangote Group maintained that the crude volumes supplied under the arrangement were inadequate to sustain naira-denominated fuel sales.

A top management official of the Dangote Group had told The PUNCH that crude supply under the naira-for-crude arrangement had been limited to just four million barrels monthly despite the increase in Nigeria’s crude oil production.

The official, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the refinery was now set to export a larger percentage of its products in exchange for foreign exchange.

“Since the traders have brought lots of imported products to the market, we are focusing on exports. We can’t, and we shouldn’t be fighting against the government’s policies,” the source said.

Our correspondent told the official that exporting without adequately supplying the domestic market would not be good for the country, but he responded with a question: “Is issuing massive import licences and releasing forex for imports good for the country, when 45 per cent of our production can meet 100 per cent of the entire country’s requirements in terms of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel?”

When told that the NNPC said it had increased crude supply to the Dangote refinery, the official replied, “Do you think that they will keep quiet if we process the naira crude and export the products? We are getting just four million barrels monthly.”

With the sale of petrol in dollars to local marketers, the Dangote official disclosed that the refinery would now process whatever crude it receives under the naira arrangement and supply the equivalent refined products in naira to the Nigerian market through the NNPC.

“We will account for every barrel of crude we receive against the naira payment by supplying equivalent products in naira. We will do that through the NNPC. The NNPC buys a lot from us,” he said.

The refinery had maintained that the inability to secure the expected crude volumes under the naira-for-crude initiative compelled it to abandon naira-denominated fuel sales and adopt dollar pricing for petroleum products.

Last week, the refinery announced a new dollar-denominated pricing template, fixing the ex-depot price of petrol at $0.779 per litre, diesel at $1.087 per litre and aviation fuel at $0.942 per litre.

The move has drawn criticism from petroleum marketers, who warned that it could increase pressure on fuel prices, although the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said the decision was consistent with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, which allows refiners to recover their costs.


Supply worsens

Meanwhile, petrol supply in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, worsened on Monday with the closure of some major filling stations in Abuja and a fresh increase in the pump price of petrol.

Checks by one of our correspondents showed that some stations operated by NNPC Limited and MRS along the Airport Road Expressway were shut when visited on Monday.

At stations that were dispensing the product, petrol was being sold at between N1,250 and N1,280 per litre. Bovas sold petrol at N1,250 per litre, while Azman Filling Station at 6th Avenue dispensed the product at N1,280 per litre. Salbas also sold petrol at N1,280 per litre.

The development has further heightened concerns among motorists and other consumers over the rising cost and availability of petrol in the nation’s capital. For motorists in Abuja, Monday’s development meant longer searches for petrol, closed stations and prices as high as N1,280 per litre at outlets that had the product available.

Meanwhile, truck traffic has surged across major private petroleum depots in Lagos as marketers scramble for petrol supplies following the fifth consecutive day of suspended loading at Dangote Petroleum Refinery amid growing expectations that wholesale prices could rise when operations resume.


Expert reacts

Meanwhile, Professor Emeritus of Petroleum Economics and Principal Facilitator at the FUPRE Energy Business School, Wumi Iledare, said the Dangote refinery’s decision to sell petrol in dollars should be viewed within the broader context of petroleum economics and Nigeria’s energy security rather than merely the currency in which products are priced.

According to Iledare, the move is a commercial response to the realities of the global oil market, where crude oil, the refinery’s major feedstock, is traded in United States dollars.

Iledare explained that pricing refined products in dollars enables the refinery to reduce its exposure to exchange rate volatility and provides greater revenue certainty, although it shifts part of the foreign exchange risk to fuel marketers and, ultimately, consumers, where the costs are passed on.

He stressed that the refinery’s dollar pricing would not automatically translate to higher fuel prices, noting that domestic petrol prices would instead become more closely tied to movements in international crude oil prices and the naira-dollar exchange rate.

“Does this necessarily mean higher fuel prices? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that domestic fuel prices become more closely linked to two key variables: international crude oil prices and the naira-dollar exchange rate. If crude prices rise or the naira weakens, pump prices are likely to increase. Conversely, if crude prices decline or the naira strengthens, consumers should also expect prices to adjust downward. That is how a market-oriented pricing system is expected to function,” he said.

The petroleum expert maintained that despite concerns over dollar-denominated pricing, the Dangote refinery had strengthened Nigeria’s energy security by reducing dependence on imported petrol and improving the availability of petroleum products.

He, however, noted that domestic refining alone could not guarantee affordability, saying fuel prices would continue to depend on exchange rate stability, international crude prices, logistics costs and the level of competition in the downstream sector.

“The refinery has significantly improved the availability of petroleum products by reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported PMS. That alone makes the country less vulnerable to disruptions in international supply chains and enhances supply reliability.

“This is why I would say that Dangote Refinery can shield Nigeria more effectively from supply shocks than from price shocks. Domestic refining improves energy security, but it cannot completely insulate Nigeria from global petroleum market dynamics because crude oil still has an international opportunity cost, whether it is refined in Lagos, Rotterdam, or Houston,” he stated.

On the implications for the naira, Iledare argued that pricing petroleum products in dollars would not automatically weaken the local currency. “As for the impact on the naira, the answer is more nuanced than many assume. Dollar pricing by itself does not automatically weaken the naira. What matters is whether the arrangement increases or reduces Nigeria’s net demand for foreign exchange,” he said.

He urged policymakers to focus less on the currency in which petroleum products are priced and more on building an efficient and competitive downstream market.

“The real issue is therefore not the currency of pricing. The real issue is whether Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market satisfies the four tests of good public policy: efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and ethics. Those are the standards by which this development should be judged,” he added.

by Zuleihat Chatta

Nigeria’s national team goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, has found himself at the centre of a severe controversy after his girlfriend and baby mama, Dutch model Jelicia Westhoff, made explosive allegations regarding his private life.

The sudden development unfolded shortly after Okoye was spotted in Venice, Italy, alongside American rapper Cardi B at the Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture fashion show, a sighting that initially triggered widespread dating rumours on social media platforms.

Taking to her verified Instagram page, Jelicia accused the Super Eagles star of domestic abuse, physical violence, and parental neglect. She claimed that the footballer had subjected her to physical assault and routine infidelity, alleging that he had cheated on her with both men and women.

“Imagine I shut my mouth, lied about what YOU did to me, so you could continue YOUR career and all you do is embarrassing US. YOU make me look like I’m a bitter baby mother when I helped you when NO one was there for you!!! I MADE YOU! NO ONE KNEW WHO YOU WAS… Instead of loving us you beat me, cheated on me with men and women. YOU’RE a demon who tried to destroy my life,” Jelicia wrote.

The Dutch model further alleged that the goalkeeper has completely abandoned his parental responsibilities, noting that he had only visited their son twice this year and three times throughout the previous year.

She detailed a health crisis in December, claiming their son was hospitalised four times in intensive care and transported via ambulance, during which Okoye allegedly failed to show up or offer support.

Westhoff added that Okoye never maintained public relationships with other women during their time together due to his sexuality, stating, “You never had any other girlfriend than me because you’re bi. And that’s totally fine, ain’t nothing wrong with that. But what we’re not going to do is continue to show out while our son hasn’t seen you for months.”

The startling revelations have sparked intense arguments online among football fans and celebrity followers. At the time of filing this report, Okoye had not issued any public statement or response to the serious allegations made by his partner.

by Leah Ndagi


Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria made significant sacrifices in support of South Africa’s liberation struggle, including deductions from the scholarship allowances of Nigerian students to fund anti-apartheid movements.

Shettima made the remarks in Sierra Leone during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government while condemning the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants in South Africa.

Expressing solidarity with Ghana, the Vice-President called for the issue to be presented at the next African Union (AU) summit, stressing that attacks on fellow Africans were unacceptable.

“On the afrophobic attacks in South Africa, I wish to join Ghana in strongly condemning the attacks on its citizens and other fellow Africans in the Republic of South Africa,” he said.

He noted that the matter would be taken before the African Union to send a strong message against intolerance on the continent.

Shettima reminded South Africa of the support it received from several African nations during the anti-apartheid struggle, particularly from Nigeria and Ghana.

“While we tread the path of moderation, South Africa should be reminded that the freedom the country currently enjoys is due to the liberation efforts of African countries such as Nigeria and Ghana.

“Deductions were made from our scholarship allowances to fund liberation movements in Southern Africa.

“They should learn to know where their problem lies. Their problems do not lie with fellow Africans who are there to sell their skills,” he said.

Nigeria has continued to express concern over the xenophobic violence that erupted in South Africa in April, during which at least four Nigerians were reportedly killed.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had earlier criticised the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa, saying the country had made enormous sacrifices to support South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.

According to her, Nigeria committed financial resources to the liberation movement, reserved educational opportunities for South African students, and mobilised nationwide demonstrations in solidarity with the anti-apartheid campaign.

She also noted that many Nigerians participated in protests against the apartheid regime, with some even facing arrest for their activism.

Following the attacks, the Federal Government evacuated 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa in seven batches after rights groups issued an unofficial June 30 deadline for migrants to leave the country.

While Nigeria has maintained that it prefers diplomatic engagement to resolve the issue, the government has also indicated that retaliatory measures remain an option if attacks on Nigerians persist.

By Daily Trust


New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has said his administration is reviewing whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested if he travels to New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

World leaders are expected to attend the annual UNGA forum, which will hold in September this year.

When he featured on The New York Times podcast, The Interview, Mamdani made reference to an outstanding arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said.

“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. That is an opinion shared by many because of what his actions have wrought over these last several years.”

Asked whether New York City had the authority to arrest a visiting foreign leader, the mayor said the city’s legal team was examining the legal implications of such a move, which he noted was consistent with a campaign promise he made during the mayoral election.

“That’s an active conversation with our legal department,” he said. “What we’ve seen at the national level is a willingness at times to write its own laws or step outside the bounds of legality. That is not something we have any interest in doing.”

The remarks have reignited debate over the enforceability of ICC warrants in countries that are not parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the court.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

Israel has rejected the allegations, insisting its military operations comply with international law, while Netanyahu has dismissed the warrants as politically motivated.

The United States is not a member of the ICC and is therefore under no treaty obligation to execute its arrest warrants. The administration of President Donald Trump has maintained a hardline stance against the court, accusing it of overstepping its mandate.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently vowed to “dismantle” the ICC, describing the court’s actions against American allies as an abuse of international law. Both Trump and former President Joe Biden had previously criticised the ICC’s decision to seek warrants against Israeli leaders.

Mamdani, a long-time critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, has repeatedly described the offensive as a “genocide”—an allegation strongly rejected by Israel, which argues it is exercising its right to self-defence against Hamas.

His comments drew swift criticism from senior US officials. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz dismissed the mayor’s remarks as “pure political theatre,” reiterating that the United States does not recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction.

Netanyahu also brushed aside Mamdani’s comments during an interview with WABC radio host Sid Rosenberg earlier in the week, suggesting they would not affect his plans.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, insisted the Israeli leader would attend the UN General Assembly as scheduled.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens,” Danon wrote on social media.

The controversy comes ahead of the annual UN General Assembly, where dozens of world leaders are expected to gather in New York in September.

While host countries are generally expected to facilitate the attendance of foreign leaders at UN meetings under the UN Headquarters Agreement, legal experts note that questions surrounding the enforcement of ICC warrants in the United States remain largely theoretical because Washington does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction.

Mamdani’s remarks are therefore expected to fuel further political and legal debate over the relationship between international justice, diplomatic immunity and US domestic law as preparations for the UN summit continue.

Dare Akogun and Olufemi Adediran


Three weeks after President Bola Tinubu announced the appointment of Dr Abdulrazak Namdas as Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has been accused of withholding his appointment letter.

The development has created a leadership tussle at the agency as the immediate past chief executive, Dakorinama George, continues to perform official duties while implementation of the presidential directive stalled.

The Presidency had, on June 26, announced the appointment of Namdas, a former spokesperson for the House of Representatives, through a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The statement expressly said Namdas was appointed to replace George, ‘who resigned to contest for an elective post in his home state,’ adding that the appointment took immediate effect.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas as the new Director General of the Border Communities Development Agency.

“Dr Namdas replaces Dr Dakorinama Alabo George, who resigned to contest for an elective post in his home state.

“President Tinubu also announced the appointment of Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, as the Executive Director, Strategy & Commercial, of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.

“President Tinubu also reappointed Mr Chukwuma Umeoji as Executive Director, Corporate Services of the NDPHC. The appointment took immediate effect,” the statement read in part.

However, more than three weeks after that announcement, Sunday PUNCH gathered that Namdas has yet to assume office because the formal instrument conveying the President’s decision was not released.

Further findings showed that George has continued to occupy the office, preside over official engagements and represent the agency at high-level government meetings.

The latest instance occurred on Thursday July 9, when George met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, in Abuja to seek intervention for the release of funds for BCDA projects.

A detailed account of the meeting in a statement accompanied by official photographs, was published on Facebook by ‘Port Harcourt Force’, a Rivers-based news platform, where George was repeatedly described as the “Executive Secretary” of the agency.

“During the meeting, George congratulated the minister on his appointment and appealed for timely releases of budgetary allocations for ongoing infrastructure projects across Nigeria’s border communities,” the statement said.

George was also quoted as informing the minister that BCDA had facilitated a proposed $2bn Chinese investment for a livestock processing hub in Maigatari, Jigawa State, and was collaborating with security agencies on plans to establish a Border Communities Intelligence Corps.

The development has raised fresh questions over who currently exercises lawful authority over the agency.

A chieftain of the APC, Hamman Yero, alleged that the delay stemmed from the failure of the SGF to transmit the President’s appointment.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Thursday monitored by Sunday PUNCH, Yero questioned why Namdas had yet to receive his appointment letter despite the Presidency’s public announcement.

“This is a mandate given to the President by Nigerians. On whose mandate is the SGF acting?” he asked.

“If the President directs that Namdas should be appointed and the SGF keeps the appointment letter without releasing it, then serious constitutional and administrative questions arise,” he said.

According to him, presidential appointments should ordinarily move seamlessly from presidential approval to issuance of appointment letters through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“It is the Chief of Staff who normally transmits presidential approvals to the SGF for implementation. Is the Chief of Staff aware that Namdas has still not received his appointment letter? If he wasn’t aware before, he certainly should be aware now,” he said.

Yero also dismissed reports claiming George’s appointment had been restored, arguing that the lingering uncertainty raises broader concerns about compliance with presidential directives.

The BCDA controversy echoes an earlier leadership dispute at the Nigerian Postal Service in October 2023, when President Tinubu announced the appointment of Tola Odeyemi as the new Postmaster-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST on October 11, 2023, following the removal of Sunday Adepoju.

Barely three days later, NIPOST issued a statement claiming Adepoju had been reinstated, triggering confusion over who was legally in charge of the postal agency.

The controversy escalated when workers locked the agency’s headquarters in Abuja and initially resisted Odeyemi’s resumption.

The impasse was eventually resolved after the Presidency reaffirmed Tinubu’s appointment of Odeyemi, who formally resumed office on October 16, 2023, while Adepoju vacated the position, bringing the leadership dispute to an end.

Sunday PUNCH learnt from multiple sources familiar with developments inside BCDA that George never fully relinquished control of the agency after announcing his resignation to pursue the APC governorship ticket in Rivers State.

One senior official of the agency, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, alleged that George quietly returned to the agency after losing the APC primary election.

“He resigned to contest the governorship. After losing, he simply returned and resumed activities without any formal handover,” the source claimed.

The source further alleged that George continued to enjoy strong political backing within the administration.

The official claimed George’s continued presence at the agency was allegedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, under whom he served as Commissioner for Works during Wike’s tenure as Rivers State governor.

“It was Wike who nominated him for the BCDA appointment in 2024. That relationship explains why he has remained influential despite his resignation,” the source said.

Sunday PUNCH could not independently verify the allegation linking the minister to the matter.

One of his allies, who asked not to be identified, described the claim as “mere insinuation.”

“Wike is also an appointee of the President and he cannot have such powers,” the ally said.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, maintained that the President’s decision remained valid.

“As far as I know, the President has not changed his mind. Namdas remains the Executive Secretary of the agency.

“All these things they are talking about, they don’t know what they are talking about. The President has not changed his mind about the appointment of Namdas as the head of that border agency,” Onanuga said.

Asked why Namdas had yet to assume office weeks after the appointment was announced, Onanuga explained that the issuance of the formal appointment letter falls within the responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“His appointment has been communicated to the Office of the SGF, so the SGF has to give him a letter,” he said.

However, the presidential spokesman declined to comment on why the appointment letter had yet to be issued or whether the Presidency had sought an explanation from the SGF over the apparent delay.

The Head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Christopher Ugwuegbulam, said an official response would only be provided upon receipt of a formal letter from our correspondent.

“What I normally prefer is for you to write to us and we would sit down to give you a response,” he said.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the SGF on Media and Publicity, Mr Yomi Odunuga, said he did not have any information about the matter.

Similarly, efforts by our correspondents to get a reaction from George were not successful as he declined to comment on the matter.

Calls placed to his telephone line were not answered, while text and WhatsApp messages sent to him remained unanswered as of the time of filing this report.


Tinubu has final say – Lawyer, analysts

Speaking with one of our correspondents, a constitutional lawyer, Suraj Bamidele, said the President possesses the constitutional authority to appoint and remove heads of federal agencies.

“In the BCDA case, the issue is no longer simply who the President appointed. It is whether there is a clear, transparent and enforceable system for ensuring that presidential appointments are implemented consistently across government institutions.

“Where an appointment is announced by the Presidency but its implementation is delayed or disputed, it creates legal uncertainty that can affect the validity of administrative decisions taken during that period,” he said.

Reacting to the development, a public affairs analyst, Sunday Awosika, said the situation, if established, raises serious governance concerns.

“This allegation is a very bad commentary for our country. We have yet to conclude discussions surrounding the controversy over the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, and now another issue has emerged regarding compliance with presidential appointments,” he said.

“I think the President needs to rein in some officials because there are established mechanisms for managing government agencies. It will be difficult to understand how someone whose resignation was accepted and whose replacement has been publicly announced can continue to function in that office,” he added.

Also speaking, an analyst, Abdulrasaq Rasheed, said the event, as well as the ones that had been ‘exposed” to the public recently, pointed to the fact of lack of coordination as far as the running of the government was concerned.

“For me, the role of the Chief of Staff, in any government, is different from the SGF. The CoS is like a private secretary to the appointor, be he the Head of State or Governor of a state.

“All correspondence relating to appointments and the processes leading to such, are supposed to domicile in the office of the Secretary to the Government, because the office of SGF is the coordinator of the MDAs.

“How then do you think this won’t happen? The SGF is only being ‘matured’ perhaps, otherwise there will have been a clash of personalities, because of the overlap, whether deliberate or not, that had been happening,” he said.


We’re witnessing struggle for control of Presidency – ADC

The African Democratic Congress called on President Tinubu to resign if he could no longer exercise effective control over his administration, alleging that recent controversies surrounding federal appointments suggested that the President’s directives were no longer being implemented.

The opposition party also urged the National Assembly to immediately invoke its constitutional oversight powers to determine whether the President remains capable of effectively discharging the responsibilities of his office.

The call was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.

The party argued that the BCDA controversy was not an isolated incident but part of what it described as a disturbing pattern of confusion over presidential appointments and executive authority.

It also referenced the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, describing it as a “phantom” body that reportedly operated at the highest levels of government despite questions over its legal existence.

According to the ADC, the recurring controversies raise serious concerns about whether the President retains effective control over one of the core constitutional powers of his office: the appointment and removal of public officials.

The party said, “If the reports concerning the Border Communities Development Agency are true, then this is no longer about one disputed appointment. It is about something far more disturbing: who is actually in charge of the Nigerian Presidency?” the party said.

“When a President announces the appointment of one person and another simply ignores that directive and carries on in office, Nigeria is no longer witnessing administrative confusion. We are witnessing a struggle for control of the Presidency itself.

“Taken together, these episodes reveal a Presidency steadily losing its monopoly over one of the most fundamental powers of government: the constitutional authority to appoint and remove public officers.”

By Ochogwu Sunday


Popular television host, Rufai Oseni, on Friday became emotional while lamenting the state of Nigeria’s economy.

During the Arise TV Morning Show, Rufai wondered how Nigeria became a chronic borrower.

Speaking on the programme, Oseni recalled a time when Nigeria was financially strong enough to lend money to international institutions, contrasting it with the current reality of the country’s economy.

He said, “I cried for Nigeria this morning. Let me read something to you and show why I sometimes raise my voice about this country.

“On December 24, 1974, Nigeria signed a long-term borrowing agreement with the World Bank. Under that agreement, Nigeria provided $240 million in net resources to the World Bank Reserve.

“We were lending money to the World Bank to support development in other countries. We also lent $120 million to the International Monetary Fund, IMF. What happened to this country?”

Oseni’s remark is coming amid ongoing concerns over continuous borrowing by the Federal Government as Nigeria’s debt profile continues to rise

.

Moment Rufai Oseni of Arise News cried on live TV over the state of the economy in the 70s and today and miss-management and looting of resources by politicians.

Lol 😆 pic.twitter.com/L2qAlJahhu

— Emma ik Umeh (Tcee )🇳🇬 (@emmaikumeh) July 17, 2026

by Bunmi Aduloju


Fuel importers are set to increase the depot price of petrol from N1,230 per litre to N1,350, TheCable can confirm.

Industry sources told TheCable on Thursday that importers have notified marketers of the new depot price of N1,350 per litre.

The new depot price is expected to take effect from July 17, meaning that Nigerians will pay more at the pumps.

It was further learnt that the new price reflects the increased cost of imported cargoes.

The development follows the issuance of a fresh round of fuel import licences by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for the third quarter (Q3) of 2026.

The licence allows selected marketers to import petrol and diesel between July and September.

According to a market intelligence report by Argus, petrol import approvals were granted to AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Bono, NIPCO, and Pinnacle.

Also, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Bono, Matrix, and Pinnacle reportedly received licences to import diesel.

The price hike comes days after the resumption of the US-Iran conflict, which has disrupted the free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Commenting on the upward price review, a source said it undermines the objective of issuing additional import licences to promote competition and moderate domestic prices.

“The expectation was that additional import licences would encourage competition and provide consumers with more pricing options. Instead, importers are announcing higher prices that will ultimately be passed on to Nigerians,” the source said.

Another petroleum products marketer said filling stations sourcing products from importers would have little choice but to raise their pump prices to reflect the higher cost of procurement.

“Retailers buying imported products have little choice but to pass the increase onto consumers. That is how the market works,” the marketer said.

The marketer, however, noted that products supplied by Dangote refinery remain cheaper.

The federal high court in Kano has barred the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from operating on state and local government roads.

According to Daily Trust, the court also declared the corps’ operations on township roads within Kano metropolis unlawful, holding that they violated the fundamental rights of citizens.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, M.S. Shuaibu, the presiding judge, ruled in favour of Abba Hikima, a Kano-based lawyer who sued the FRSC over its activities in July 2025.

The judge held that FRSC officers acted outside their statutory powers by stopping, questioning and delaying motorists on township roads.

He added that the actions breached the constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed under sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

The judge granted all the reliefs sought by Hikima, including a perpetual injunction restraining FRSC personnel from stopping or harassing motorists on Kano state roads without lawful authority.

He also ordered the corps to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded the applicant N800,000 in damages and costs.

The suit stemmed from an incident in July 2025 when FRSC operatives mounted checkpoints on township roads in Kano and stopped motorists, including Hikima, demanding driver’s licences and questioning them despite the absence of any primary traffic offence.

Hikima subsequently approached the federal high court, noting that the corps had unlawfully violated his fundamental rights.

He said that the FRSC’s statutory mandate covers only federal highways and does not extend to state or local government roads.