President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of a “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC) and all related matters.

According to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga,Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), the President directed that the investigation be concluded and a comprehensive report submitted to him within 30 days.

The directive follows the discovery of the fictitious PFIPC, which was never established by the Federal Government of Nigeria and has no basis in any law, presidential instrument, executive approval, or other lawful act of Government.

One Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew presented himself as the Director-General of the so-called PFIPC and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.

Among the issues to be investigated by the ICPC are the forged appointment letters and other official government documents; the use of a false claim of presidential appointment to seek or obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation; and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.

President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate not only the conduct of the principal individual and other collaborators involved but also the wider circumstances that may have enabled a fictitious body and a false claim of presidential appointment to acquire an appearance of official legitimacy.

The investigation is to examine the provenance and use of false official documents; the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been sought or obtained; the opening and operation of any related bank accounts; the source and movement of any funds involved; and the role of any public officer, private individual, financial institution, intermediary or other person or entity that may have facilitated, enabled or participated in the alleged scheme.

The President further directed the Commission to identify any weaknesses in government and institutional procedures that may have been exploited and to recommend immediate measures to prevent the recurrence of similar abuses.

All ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government have been directed to provide the ICPC, upon lawful request, with all relevant information, records and assistance required for the expeditious completion of the investigation.

President Tinubu stated that the integrity of the Presidency and the institutions of the Federal Government must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service.

The President directed that all persons found culpable be treated strictly in accordance with applicable law.

The Enugu State Police Command has impounded no fewer than 195 vehicles across the state for violating registration and number plate regulations, warning that all offending motorists will be prosecuted in court.

The enforcement exercise, led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, formed part of the nationwide crackdown on unregistered vehicles and those operating with covered, defaced, obscured, improperly affixed, unauthorised or missing number plates.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the police said the operation targeted vehicles contravening the provisions of the National Road Traffic Regulations and other extant laws.

According to the command, the impounded vehicles include those that were not registered, those bearing covered, defaced, obscured, unauthorised or improperly affixed number plates, as well as vehicles operating with only one number plate instead of the legally required two.

“The affected vehicle owners will be charged to court and prosecuted accordingly,” the statement said.

Commending officers who participated in the operation, CP Giwa described the exercise as professional and reminded motorists of their legal obligation to comply with vehicle registration and number plate regulations.

He warned that the enforcement would be sustained across the state, stressing that violators would continue to face prosecution.

“The Command will sustain the enforcement and ensure that all offenders are prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the Commissioner stated.

CP Giwa explained that the operation followed the recent directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, mandating all state police commands to strictly enforce the nationwide ban on unregistered vehicles and prosecute offenders.

According to him, the directive was necessitated by the growing security concerns associated with such vehicles, which are frequently used in criminal activities while also violating existing traffic regulations.

The Commissioner also issued a stern warning to police personnel participating in the exercise, cautioning that any officer found engaging in extortion, harassment or any other form of misconduct would face severe disciplinary sanctions.

He equally urged motorists operating unregistered vehicles or using covered, defaced, obscured, unauthorised or improperly affixed number plates, except where permitted by law, to immediately comply with all relevant regulations.

The Senate has called on the federal government to discontinue the rehabilitation programme for repentant Boko Haram members following the abduction and killing of military officers.

The decision followed the adoption of an additional prayer on Tuesday during deliberations on the country’s security situation.

The prayer, proposed by Joseph Ikpea, senator representing Edo Central, was adopted through a voice vote during consideration of a motion on the escalating attacks, abductions and killings of serving and retired military personnel.

Supporting the proposal, Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo North, said: “It does not make even common sense to grant pardon and rehabilitate criminals”.

The motion, sponsored by Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, Senator representing Katsina Central and Chairman, Senate Committee on the Nigerian Army, was prompted by the abduction and death of Rabe Abubakar, a retired Major General and former Director of Defence Information.

Abubakar died in captivity after he was kidnapped alongside his wife in Katsina State.

Leading the debate during Tuesday’s plenary, Yar’Adua described the country’s security situation as a “national emergency”.

He said insecurity had assumed “increasingly complex, persistent and alarming dimensions”, manifesting through terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, violent attacks on communities and the destruction of livelihoods across several parts of the country.

“The death of the retired Major General and others in the custody of terrorists represents not only personal tragedies but also a painful national loss and a stark reminder of the scale and persistence of insecurity confronting the nation,” he said.

Yar’Adua said terrorists had become increasingly sophisticated and emboldened, extending their attacks beyond civilian communities to serving and retired military officers.

“The increasing frequency with which serving and retired military personnel are being targeted by criminal and terrorist groups represents a dangerous evolution in the nation’s security challenges,” he said.

The senator warned that attacks on current and former military personnel undermine the morale of security agencies, weaken public confidence in the state’s ability to provide security and embolden criminal groups.

He listed a series of attacks on senior military officers, including the abduction of Rabiu Garba Yandoto, a retired colonel, in Zamfara in January 2023; the kidnap and killing of Richard Duru, retired major general, in Imo in September 2023 despite the payment of ransom; the murder of Uwem Udokwere, retired brigadier general, in Abuja in June 2024; the abduction of Maharazu Tsiga, former NYSC director-general, in Katsina in February 2025; the death of Joe Ajayi, a retired major, in captivity in Kogi in May 2025; the abduction and rescue of Joseph Ajanaku, a retired colonel, in Plateau in January 2026.

’PERPETRATORS MUST BE ARRESTED’

Seconding the motion, Osita Izunaso, Senator representing Imo West, urged security agencies to ensure those responsible for the attacks were arrested.

“We have to mandate them to ensure that these people are arrested because we are all following the incident. The perpetrators must be arrested and brought to book,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, said insecurity had made travelling unsafe even for public office holders.

“It’s becoming increasingly dangerous for people, even like us who are protected by the government, to move around the roads these days,” Moro said.

He recounted the killing of a professor near a police checkpoint in Benue State.

“They just shot him dead right there, very close to a police checkpoint. If people can conveniently be killed like that, then it becomes increasingly scary that we are all walking corpses,” he said.

Moro urged the Senate leadership to meet with President Bola Tinubu to brief him on lawmakers’ concerns over the security situation.

Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, questioned why criminal groups were controlling parts of the country.

“Is this country at war? If we are not at war, why are non-government bodies controlling parts of this country?” Ningi asked.

He also called for an investigation into the number of security personnel killed across the country and the support available to their families.

Responding to the debate, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, defended the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies.

“Our men in uniform are doing their best. They are working very hard,” Barau said.

He added that terrorism and banditry had become regional challenges affecting several West African countries.

“The issue of banditry and terrorism has a global dimension. The entire West African region is confronted with this sad reality, from Mali to Burkina Faso, Niger and beyond,” he said.

OTHER RESOLUTIONS

The Senate also urged security and intelligence agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering, intelligence sharing, surveillance operations, threat assessment mechanisms and early warning systems.

Lawmakers called for deeper collaboration with local communities, traditional institutions and religious leaders to improve community-based intelligence and trust-driven security partnerships.

The upper legislative chamber further urged the federal government to accelerate the deployment of modern security technologies, including unmanned aerial systems, geospatial intelligence capabilities, integrated command and control platforms and advanced communications systems to combat terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

Lawmakers also mandated the Senate leadership to constitute a delegation to visit the family of the late Abubakar, the Katsina state government and the Nigerian Army to convey the condolences of the Senate.