
News
Senate moves to return control of National Social Investment Programme to Presidency
A bill seeking to transfer the control and supervision of programmes under the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to the Presidency has passed second reading at the Senate.
The bill titled “A bill for an act to amend the Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2023 and for other matters connected therewith, 2023 (SB.163),” was sponsored by Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele.
The programmes under the NSIP are the N-Power , the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT).
The NSIP was created in 2016 by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari while the National Social Programme Agency Act was enacted this year to address socio-economic inequalities and alleviate poverty among Nigerians.
The programme started under the control of the office of the then Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, but was transferred to the ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development during Mr Buhari’s second term.
The former president had hinted during his 2019 Independence Day broadcast that the NSIP would be moved from the vice president’s office.

The bill, seeking direct supervision of the NSIP programmes to the office of the President of the Federation, was read the first time in the Senate on Tuesday and was transferred to the Committee of the Whole.
Leading debate on the bill, Mr Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) said the amendment was to support the renewed hope mantra of President Bola Tinubu in ensuring that Social Investment Programmes are standard, transparent, effective and accountable in the discharge of constitutional duties.
He also said the reason for amendment was to fulfill Section 17 (3) of the Nigerian Constitution which provided that the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that all citizens, without discrimination, have the opportunity of securing adequate means of livelihood and ensuring provision is made for public assistance in deserving cases or conditions of need among others.
“This Bill seeks to amend Sections 9 (3); 14(1); 21(1); 22(1), 26(1) and 33 of the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act by transferring the Agency from the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the Presidency under the direct supervision of the President C-in-C.
“This amendment is as a result of the commitment of the renewed hope mantra President Bola Tinubu in ensuring that Social Investment Programme are standard, transparent, effective and accountable structure of delivery, adequate coordination and synergy amongst key government agencies as well as fulfilment of Section 17 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which provided that the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that all citizens, without discrimination, have the opportunity of securing adequate means of livelihood and ensuring provision is made for public assistance in deserving cases or conditions of need among others.
“With this amendment, a wide range of sustainable development goals (SDGS) including poverty reduction, education, health, social inclusion and empowerment can be achieved through the NSIPA and countries the world over have recognised and deployed similar social support programmes as an effective strategy for poverty reduction, social development and economic growth.”
The Senate Leader therefore urged his colleagues to support and pass the bill, stressing that it would reduce poverty in Nigeria.
“Mr President, my respected colleagues, the passage of this bill will ensure continuity and sustainability of NSIP as a reliable tool to solve poverty problems in Nigeria and also serves as an enduring legacy of this administration. I therefore recommend the bill for second reading.”
When the bill was set for debate, majority of the senators spoke in support of it.
They also said the bill should pass second reading.
The immediate past Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who supported passage of the bill advised that after passing the amendment, relevant committees of the National Assembly must actively participate in the NSIP programmes in order to ensure that all the identified vulnerable receive support from the government.
“We are talking about social inclusion. Money was distributed in cash and that is not what we are expected to continue to do. After passing the amendment, we must participate fully, from all relevant committees to ensure that those that needed the support, the vulnerable are satisfied,” he said.
News
DSS releases Nnamdi Kanu’s doctor, Aghaji
…insider sheds light on reason for his arrest
Professor Martin Aghaji, personal doctor to Nnamdi Kanu, has been arrested by Nigeria’s security operatives, Aloy Ejimakor, Mr Kanu’s lawyer said in an X post on Saturday.
Mr Kanu is the convicted leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He is serving life imprisonment in Sokoto State after a federal high court in Abuja convicted him in November for terrorism.
Mr Ejimakor said in the X post that Mr Aghaji, a retired professor, was arrested at his residence in Enugu State on Friday.
The lawyer did not specifically say which operatives arrested the medical doctor, although he suggested that the arrest was connected to a medical report issued by the doctor on Mr Kanu which contradicted a similar report by the Department of State Security (DSS).
“This is the height of the official harassment he has been facing since he issued the medical report that did not comport with the SSS’s medical report on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Mr Ejimakor said.
How they arrested the medical doctor

In another post on Sunday evening, the lawyer claimed “the security operatives” stormed Mr Aghaji’s residence at about 3:00 a.m., violently pulled down his gate and forcibly gained entry” into the apartment.
“During the commotion, shots were fired. They’ve now taken him to Lagos,” he stated.
Release of the doctor
Mr Ejimakor, in a fresh post on Sunday night, announced that Mr Aghaji has been released from detention following the intervention of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and other bodies.
“While welcoming this development, the DSS is hereby admonished to do better than this,” he said, suggesting that the secret police earlier carried out the arrest.
DSS speaks
When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson of the DSS, Favour Dozie, confirmed the secret police indeed arrested Mr Aghaji from his residence in Enugu.
Ms Dozie, however, said the arrest was never linked to Mr Kanu or IPOB.
“He was arrested, but not in connection with Nnamdi Kanu,” she said, refusing to give details because the matter was under investigation.
The DSS spokesperson stressed that the retired professor’s arrest could not have been linked to Mr Kanu because the IPOB leader had already been convicted by a court and currently serving jail term.
She confirmed that Mr Aghaji was granted administrative bail and subsequently released to the NMA leadership in Lagos State on Sunday after providing a credible individual as his surety.
An official of the DSS later informed PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Aghaji’s arrest followed his alleged financial transactions to high-profile criminals under investigation.
“He was even sorry about it when he was informed of the transactions he made. The man himself felt very bad,” said the official who asked not to be named because he did not have permission to speak on the matter.
News
PFIPC: Adeyemi’s father arrested as police intensify forgery probe
The father of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, who is facing criminal charges over alleged forgery and impersonation, was reportedly arrested by police operatives on Monday in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Residents told journalists that the arrest took place at the family’s residence, where officers reportedly arrived in several vehicles before taking Adeniyi’s father and another man said to have been visiting the home into custody.
Witnesses said the operation drew the attention of residents and caused anxiety within the household, particularly for the suspect’s elderly mother.
A resident, who requested anonymity, alleged that the officers quickly secured the premises and left with the two men, while a security presence remained in the area for some time after the operation.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi is currently standing trial over allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences arising from claims linked to the purported Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council.
The case is pending before the court.

As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State Police Command had not issued an official statement confirming or explaining the reported arrests.
News
Tiktoker, Peller, arraigned in court for threatening and videoing police officers on duty; granted 500k bail
The Lagos state police command today July 6 arraigned popular TikToker, Habeeb Hamzat aka Peller, and one other, Bello Oladipo, before a magistrate court on a three-count charge bordering on resisting police officers, obstructing them from carrying out their duties, and threatening and videoing police officers while performing their lawful duties.
Recall that on July 2, Peller clashed with some officers along the Coastal road in Lagos after he was intercepted for allegedly driving a car without a plate number.
Peller had claimed he had just purchased the vehicle.
The officers, however, dismissed his claim and insisted he must be taken to the station. Things, however, took a different turn after Peller began recording his interaction with the police officers.
He claimed the officers became hostile to him. He alleged that one of the officers dragged his shirt and even pointed a gun at him.
Monday morning, both Peller and his friend, who was in the vehicle with him, were arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate court.

Count one of the charges reads:
‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m” of No. 16,Platinum Road Lekki phase 2 , on the 2” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Resisting public officers and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state 2015.
COUNT 2
‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m “ of Number 16, Platinum Road, Lekki Phase 2, on the 2’” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable court did obstruct one ASP Agbede Victor and three other police officers while engaged in the discharge of their constituted duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable by Section 117 (1)(2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
The court subsequently granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties, one of whom must be a bl++d relative. The court also directed them to present two years’ tax clearance certificates as part of their bail conditions.
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