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US-based Nigerian Catholic Priest Chooses Death Over Returning To His Home Country

By
Adesina Soyooye
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1
Benjamin Madu

 

By Adesina Soyooye

 

“My heart is broken. It is not my wish to return to Nigeria now”

 

For Nigerian-born Catholic Priest based in the United States of America, death is better than being returning to his home country. So, he chose death, and, allegedly, committed suicide. “My heart is broken. It is not my wish to return to Nigeria now”,  he wrote in a post.

 

The Roman Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Madu, from Nigeria, had been billed to leave the United States over visa issue, and had been preparing for his departure.

 

But that was not to be. For, now, he would either be sent back to Nigeria in a body bag or buried in the United.

 

Church officials in Massachusetts, USA,  where he had  been serving as a  Chaplain in a hospital, for years, said Rev. Madu, who was  of the Diocese of Abakaliki, before he travelled to the US, died Thursday last week.

 

An announcement made by   Rev Father Jim Achadinha of the Catholic community of Gloucester and Rockport,  described Fr. Madu’s death as a “devastating loss.”

 

Madu, said Achadinha,  “served Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish with true joy, kindness, and generosity.”

 

Not much details have been released by either the church or local law enforcement officials but a representative of the Essex County District Attorney’s Office ruled out foul play.

An autopsy report is being expected and efforts to officially contact his family and home Diocese in Nigeria, underway.

 

NBC News quoted a source familiar with the case as saying that Madu died by suicide. Yet, another source speculated cardiac arrest. An autopsy will sort it out.

 

In a statement, the Head of the Archdiocese of Boston, Archbishop Richard Henning, extended “our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family, brother-priests and friends in Nigeria as well as the many people Fr. Benjamin Madu ministered to here in Cape Ann and at Salem Hospital.”

 

The deceased had been a Chaplain at the hospital, since 2021, said the Archdiocese. He had been a Priest for 25 years, almost, and was due to return to Nigeria because his visa was expiring.

 

The Archdiocese revealed that Rev. Fr. Madu was instructed by his home Diocese to return in early July instead of at the end of the month, as Madu had planned.

 

“Under U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations, Madu had to leave the country to renew his religious worker visa, known as R-1, which was expiring this July 29”, according to Church officials. The department recently waived a prior requirement that R-1 recipients wait a full year to apply for renewal.

 

But sadly, Nigeria is one of 75 countries  the US Government  suspended processing some immigration cases. This limited the Church’s options for keeping Madu in the U.S. legally.

 

Rev. Fr. Madu, in  a goodbye message he shared with the community  posted to the Gloucester and Rockport parishes’ website, narrated some of   his experiences with the community and approach to his role in the Church. He also discussed about returning to Nigeria.

 

He posted: “Sincerely, it is not my wish to return home right now, but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end. My heart is broken, yet my joy remains.”  He said he would miss the Community and would  gladly return to minister. He was popular in the Community as “Fr. Ben.”

El-Rufai’s Wife Tugs At Tinubu’s Conscience, Asks Him: “For All My Husband And I Did For You, Is This How You Pay Us Back?”

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0
Nasir El-Rufai in Court

 

By Adesina Soyooye

 

An emotional wife of the embattled former Governor of Kaduna State Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has tugged at President Bola Tinubu’s conscience.

 

Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, a Lawyer, and a member of her husband’s legal team, while addressing the Press on what she termed her husband’s dire health situation asked the President to remember the past and decide whether he has been fair to the El-Rufai family.

 

Specifically referring to the role her family played in 2023 to see to it that Tinubu won the Presidential race, a teary Mrs El-Rufai, flanked by one of his co-wives, Aichatou, asked Tinubu: “Mr President Sir, I campaigned for you. I stood up and went to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State for you. My husband stood by your side. Is this what our family deserves?”

 

Indeed, El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State at the time, was one of the main faces who saw to Tinubu’s success in 2023. He challenged the now late President Muhammadu Buhari by leading a delegation of APC Northern Governor to him to insist that power shifts to the South. At the time, not a few people were of the opinion that Buhari wanted a former Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan to succeed. But El-Rufai’s delegation by going public in their support for a Southerner, pulled the rug from the Lawan plan.

 

He continued by challenging in Court, the sudden redesigning of the Naira which triggered a crunch and denied Nigerians of funds to even eat. El-Rufai felt it was targeted at Tinubu to deny him of funds to run his campaign. So, he and a couple of others went to Court.

 

Mrs El-Rufai wondered how the President forgot all that, and watch while her husband has remained in detention for months, and indirectly denied bail by giving him very difficult conditions to fulfil. A word from the President, she says, would ease the bail conditions and allow her husband home to take care of his health which she says has depreciated to a frightening low. His blood pressure, she revealed has risen to high heavens and so has his sugar level.

 

But Mrs El-Rufai alleges that her husband has been denied proper visitation by his doctors, legal team and even family, and wonders where things went this wrong.

 

She asked the

President to ensure that her husband is treated fairly, and emphasised that the only thing her family expects is justice and respect for his constitutional rights.

 

Mrs El-Rufai’s comments comes on the heels of

the arrest of the former governor’s personal physician, Prof. Bello Abubakar, on Tuesday by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

 

She noted that the family’s appeal was not intended to influence ongoing legal proceedings against the former governor or even to prevent any prosecution.

Let prosecution continue she said, but disclosed that the family’s request was for the Government to uphold the constitutional rights guaranteed to every Nigerian citizen – “the right to receive proper medical attention, meet with family members, consult legal representatives, and be granted bail on reasonable terms where applicable.”

 

The El-Rufai family she explained, is  only “seeking fairness and due process in the handling of the matter. We are not requesting any special consideration or political intervention but a legal process which respects the rights guaranteed under the Constitution.”

 

Every Nigerian, she pointed out, regardless of status, “is entitled to humane treatment and equal protection under the law while any judicial proceedings continue.”

 

The former Governor is being prosecuted in various Courts by various Government agencies – EFCC, ICPC, DSS.

How DG of “Fake” Agency Tricked Me; DS Reps Kalu

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu
Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu

By Ayodele Oni

 

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has revealed that the Director General (DG)of the “fake” Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, tricked him and his Aides into believing he was working at the Presidency and was an appointee of the President.

 

Kalu revealed that he agreed to a meeting with  Adeyemi after receiving “an official letter” bearing the Presidency’s insignia.

 

The Deputy Speaker made the disclosure during plenary while supporting a motion calling for a full investigation into the activities of the phantom Council, which has since been disowned by the Presidency.

 

According to the Deputy Speaker, his office received a letter dated May 2, 2025, written on the Presidency’s letterhead which identified the sender as the Director-General of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC.

 

He said the correspondence appeared convincing because it contained an address at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and the official-looking website, pfipc.gov.ng

 

Kalu explained that because some aspects of the letter raised suspicion, he instructed members of his staff to verify the organisation’s office before approving the meeting.

 

He said his team confirmed that the office existed at the stated location, prompting him to receive the delegation.

 

According to Kalu, the visitors had requested to discuss constitutional amendment, economic governance, legislative priorities and foreign investment, but shifted focus once the meeting began.

 

“They did not talk about the Constitution that we were amending. They were more interested in taking photographs,” he told lawmakers.

 

The deputy speaker said the incident exposed weaknesses in verifying organisations, claiming affiliation with the Federal Government, stressing that an official-looking letterhead or office address should no longer be accepted as proof of legitimacy.

 

He urged the House to back the investigation to determine how the purported council operated and presented itself as a government agency.

 

The PFIPC became the subject of national controversy after it appeared as a beneficiary in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite the Presidency insisting that no such agency was ever established.

 

Following the controversy, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the council, including how it was captured in the federal budget, and identify all those responsible for the alleged fraud.

OPINION: Peter Obi and Emeka Opara’s Selective Outrage

By
The Source
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0
Peter Obi
Mr Peter Obi

 

By Valentine Obienyem 

 

“The way the government is going now, I might not be alive. I’m telling you. Every single thing I do, this government is frustrating. Deliberately so. There’s even a possibility that, if they have the opportunity, I will not be alive.” — Peter Obi

 

They were the words of Mr. Peter Obi himself. He is not known as garrulous or to habitually play to the gallery. Only he and those closest to him truly know the pressures, threats, and challenges he has faced.

 

Emeka Amadioha Opara circulated the statement, apparently expecting Nigerians to dismiss it as fearmongering. When that failed to gain traction, he resorted to sarcasm:

 

“Some people have termed Dedem Peter Obi’s outburst as a regrettable, desperate, self-righteous, disingenuous and disgraceful attempt at political blackmail!

 

Whatever they say, nothing must happen to my brother.

 

God abeg O!!!”

 

Sarcasm is often the last refuge of those who have no substantive answer.

 

My questions are straightforward. When Peter Obi was attacked in Edo State, where was your voice? Where was your outrage? Where was your condemnation?

 

When businesses associated with him – including the Next Mall in Abuja – were destroyed by fire, where were your appeals for justice? Where were your sermons against violence? I would genuinely like to read what you wrote then.

Valentine Obienyem
Valentine Obienyem

It is curious that those who maintained a deafening silence in the face of those events have suddenly found their voices – not to condemn violence, but to mock a man for expressing concern about his safety.

 

You may disagree with Peter Obi’s political views. You may oppose his ambitions. That is your democratic right. But no decent society should trivialize a person’s fear for his life, especially when that fear is informed by experiences that are already part of the public record.

 

The real question is not why Peter Obi expressed apprehension. The real question is why some people are more offended by his expression of fear than by the events that gave rise to it.

 

Whatever our political differences, one principle should unite us all: no Nigerian should be threatened, intimidated, attacked, or made to fear for his life because of politics. If we lose that principle, we lose far more than an election – we lose our humanity.

 

Beyond politics and the way Nigeria is today under Emeka’s master, is anybody safe? There is infinite possibility that anybody may die in Nigeria of PBAT  at any time.

Arrest, Detention Of Security Analyst, Kurfi, Amnesty International Warns Katsina State Govt

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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0
Bashir Kurfi

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

The Amnesty International has expressed shock and disappointment over the arrest and detention of Security Analyst, Dr Bashir Kurfi by the Police, describing the development as arbitrary and a deliberate assault on freedom of expression.

 

Kurfi, the Convener of the Katsina Security Community Initiative, KSCI, was recently seized by the police, allegedly, on the orders of the Katsina state Government over a purported television interview wherein he accused the state authorities of sponsoring some banditry kingpins to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage.

 

According to Bakatsine, a known Security expert, and reporter on the security challenges in the Northwest region, Dr Kurfi had, during the said television interview, alleged that about seven banditry kingpins who were recently intercepted by security operatives at the Katsina Airport on their way from the Holy Land in Saudi Arabia, were all sponsored to the Muslim pilgrimage to the tune of N10 million each by the Katsina State authorities.

 

Bashir, who, allegedly pointed the Holy Land trip as part of the wider peace deal believed to have been entered into between the insurgents and the Katsina state Government, however, questioned the effectiveness of the approach in resolving the festering insecurity both in the state and and the NorthWest.

 

His arrest and subsequent detention by the police, was said to be on the strength of a petition written by the statement Government through some of its officials.

 

Bashir was said to have during the interview session expressed serious concern ,and reservation over Government peace agreements with armed groups, alleging that banditry lords, after benefitting immensely from Government patronage have continued to attack and kill innocent residents.

 

The police reportedly detained  Bashir, after he voluntarily honoured an invitation.

 

But in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Amnesty International raised the alarm that there are ongoing orchestrated efforts to indefinitely detain the activist through the manipulation of the police, and the judiciary.

 

The human rights body alleged that there are coordinated plots to raise thrump-up charges, through a shambolic judicial process , with a view to silencing Kurfi.

 

Particularly, the International human rights organization accused the Katsina state Government of desperately looking for ways to get even with t Kurfi, for daring to raise the issue of the alleged sponsorship and celebration of terror lords.

 

Amnesty International expressed serious concern that rather than investigating the disturbing issues raised in the interview, the Katsina State authorities have resorted to arm-twisting and intimidation of Kurfi.

 

The International human rights organization noted that the move by the authorities to go against Kurfi, amounts to a brazen attempt to suppress dissent and discourage public scrutiny of the State Governments activities, especially its handling of the issue of insecurity.

 

“No one should be punished for criticizing the Government ,or probing officials dealings.

 

“Dr Bashir Kurfi did not commit any crime and his arrest shows clear abuse of power. It is perfectly within his right to raise questions or criticize any Government policy”, Amnesty International stated.

PFIPC Scandal: ADC Rejects ICPC Probe, Calls For Independent Investigation

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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0
African Democratic Congress - ADC

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The opposition Coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has rejected moves by the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to use the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC to  investigate the festering Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council PFIPC scandal.

The party insisted on an independent probe , rather than an in-house arrangement ,to unravel the actual circumstances surrounding the scandal which it said has brought significant embarrassment to the nation.

The Source reports that the ADC’s position is coming against the backdrop of Tuesday’s presidential  directive to the ICPC to  investigate and submit its findings on the scandal especially those who may have officially enabled  the Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi-led phantom PFIPC.

However ,in a statement from Bolaji Abdullahi,  its National Publicity Secretary on Wednesday ,the ADC maintained that only an independent probe panel will be able to reasonably provide answers to the plethora of questions which has been thrown up by the scandal.

This is as the party warned against any ingenious attempts at turning the national scandal into a family affair or the actions of an individual.

The progenitor of the non-existent agency, Prince Adeyemi has directly accused the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajiabiamila, of being in the know of the activities of the agency as well as soliciting and receiving over N400 million in bribe through a proxy ,who has now been confirmed dead for the purpose of issuing him an appointment letter as the Director -General of the agency.

Adeyemi, also, in putting a lie to the Federal Government reference to him as a conman, disclosed that the agency, apart from being officially allotted an office space at the Federal Secretariat through the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation SGF, also, received a waiver from the office of the Head of Service of the Federation for the engagement of no fewer than 300 take off staffers, as well as being generously accommodated in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The ADC, in its statement, insisted that only an independent probe panel will be able to determine whether all the documents being brandished by Adeyemi in respect of the agency were forged and or are genuine.

The party expressed the fears that by handing the assignment for the probe of the scandal to an agency under its control ,the Presidency being an interested party, intends to keep the facts out of the public view.

“We therefore note that President Tinubu has now accepted the central argument advanced by the ADC ,that this matter requires an investigation ,and should not simply be explained away ,as his presidency had initially attempted to do.

“A presidency that is at the very heart of a historic scandal such as this does not have the credibility to authorise an investigation into a matter that has brought an entire country into disrepute.

“This is why the president should seize this moment as an opportunity to restore some credibility to his Government by allowing an independent inquiry made up of trusted citizens. A Government that is drowning in scandals cannot be trusted to investigate itself

“The presidency’s statement remains stubbornly presumptuous, appearing to have concluded that the appointment letters and other official documents were ” forged ” even before any investigation had started.

“Yet ,one of the central questions that the investigation is expected to determine is whether the appointment letters ,and other documents that Adeyemi relied on were genuinely issued as he has claimed or whether they were forged ,as the presidency has insisted.

“Therefore ,by anchoring the investigation on its own position, the Government would have effectively biased the entire process.

“Investigation must be allowed to independently determine whether the documents were forged, improperly issued, fraudulently obtained ,or lawfully issued under the authority of the presidency.

“The credibility of the entire exercise depends on allowing investigators to follow the evidence wherever it leads, rather than pre-determining the outcome through official pronouncement” the ADC stated.

The party similarly urged the President ,to as matter of honour and a demonstration of sincerity of purpose ask his Chief of Staff who has been mentioned as a central figure in the scandal to proceed on leave, pending the conclusion of Investigations into the matter.

“As long as he (Chief of Staff) remains an active official of Government ,it creates to get impression that the president is deliberately shielding a key party in this matter.

“It would also be difficult to convince anyone that the Chief of Staff would not use his powerful office to influence investigations in his favour” the party added.

The ADC called for the outcome of the investigation to also be made public in full, insisting that merely announcing the findings ,and or punishing a few expendable officials or scapegoats will not suffice.

Peter Obi On El-Rufai’s Wife’s Tears Over Her Husband: “A Wife’s Tears, A Nation’s Conscience, Let Justice Have A Heart”

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Nasir El-Rufai in Court

By Ayodele Oni

 

“I woke up this morning in America and was deeply moved by an emotional viral video of Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, prompting deep reflection on our nation’s future.”

 

That was a remark by the Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, (NDC), Peter Obi, to the reaction of wife of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai over the plight of her husband, currently being detained for, allegedly, wire-tapping the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser, (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

 

Obi called for fair treatment of the former Governor in the interest of justice and unity in the country.

 

Obi, who is presently attending a function in the United States of America, expressed how he was touched emotionally seeing the tears of El Rufai’s wife at the ill-treatment of her husband.

Peter Obi
Mr Peter Obi

Writing on his X handle, “A Wife’s Tears, A Nation’s Conscience: Let Justice Have a Heart”, the former Anambra State Governor said the rule of law should have sway in a democracy.

 

“Regardless of the allegations against Mallam Nasir El-Rufai or any other citizen, justice must be transparent and fair, with reasonable bail conditions that should not be seen as punitive before trial.

 

“In a democracy governed by the rule of law, institutions exist to protect every citizen’s rights, regardless of their background.

 

“We must resist any hint of selective justice that erodes public trust and threatens national unity. Those tasked with enforcing our laws must act professionally and strictly follow due process.

 

“Let us strive for a Nigeria where the law is paramount, and where every citizen is guaranteed dignity and justice. This is the foundation of the New Nigeria we envisage.”

Fake Agency: Gagdi Chairs Reps Probe Cm’tee

By
James Orji
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0
Gagdi House of Reps

…..probe to focus solely on budgetary process and institutional failures that enabled inclusion of agency in budget

 

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, constituted an ad hoc committee, to be chaired by Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau), to investigate how more than ₦1.3 billion was reportedly allocated in the 2026 federal budget to the alleged non-existent Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC.
The committee is expected to trace the disputed allocation from the Executive’s budget proposal through the legislative process, identify the stage at which it was introduced, determine how existing scrutiny mechanisms failed to detect it, and recommend measures to prevent similar occurrences in future appropriation exercises.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Gagdi, who warned that the controversy surrounding the PFIPC had exposed serious weaknesses in Nigeria’s budget preparation and verification process.
Leading the debate, Gagdi said the ease with which the alleged agency gained official recognition pointed to systemic failures that could allow other fictitious organisations to find their way into government budgets.
“The ease with which a single unestablished entity processed through official channels suggests a systemic vulnerability rather than an isolated administrative lapse,” Gagdi said.
He noted that although the entity reportedly operated from the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja, between November 2024 and October 2025 and interacted with several government institutions, the Federal Government has since declared that no such agency was ever lawfully established.
According to him, allegations of forgery and impersonation involving the organisation are already the subject of investigations and criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja, stressing that the House probe would focus solely on the budgetary process and institutional failures that enabled the agency to appear in the appropriation framework.
Gagdi further stated that records of the National Assembly showed no law establishing the PFIPC. He explained that the organisation allegedly relied on a document claiming to be codified as “Chapter N2117, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria”, whereas no such legislation exists.
He added that the nearest existing law is the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act, making the purported legal instrument “manifestly false” when compared with official statutory records.
The lawmaker questioned how an entity without any legal instrument of establishment could secure a budgetary provision exceeding ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Framework.
He said the House must determine whether the allocation originated from the Executive’s budget proposal or was introduced during legislative consideration, and identify the exact stage at which the safeguards in the appropriation process failed.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated the ad hoc committee to invite the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation to explain the verification procedures applied before new entities are admitted into the federal budget.
The committee is also expected to verify all ministries, departments, agencies and government bodies captured in the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Frameworks against their legal instruments of establishment and receive briefings from relevant security and anti-corruption agencies.
The House directed the committee to report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
Lawmakers also requested the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to confirm that no funds have been released, and that no payment warrants would be honoured, in respect of any budget provision linked to the PFIPC pending the conclusion of investigations.
In addition, the House resolved that the Budget Office should, ahead of every Appropriation Bill, submit a comprehensive list of all ministries, departments, agencies and other bodies proposed for funding, together with the legal instruments establishing them, to ensure that no unverified entity is admitted into future federal budgets.
Supporting the motion, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu recounted how he personally met representatives of the disputed organisation after receiving what appeared to be an official communication bearing the Presidency’s insignia, a Federal Secretariat address and a government domain name.
According to him, his office verified the address before granting the delegation an audience, but he became suspicious when the visitors abandoned the policy issues contained in their correspondence and appeared more interested in taking photographs.
Kalu said the incident demonstrated that official symbols alone could no longer be relied upon as proof of an agency’s authenticity and urged the committee to uncover how the organisation secured office accommodation and gained access to senior government officials.
The investigation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the alleged PFIPC, which the Presidency has disowned while anti-corruption agencies continue investigations into its activities and the circumstances surrounding its appearance in the 2026 federal budget.

Adeyemi, DG Of “Fake” PFIPC, Vows To submit Documents, Self To Police For Investigation

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Adeniyi Adeyemi

By Ayodele Oni

 

The embattled Director General, (DG) of the “fake” Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, has revealed that he established the agency out of passion for Nigeria.

 

Adeyemi, while speaking with social media critic, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a video call on Wednesday, maintained that his desperation to serve also prompted the set up of the office.

 

The embattled DG said, “I established that amount (rumoured N400 million) for the agency’s office out of passion for the country.

 

“I wanted to bring in foreign investors to Nigeria so that I can write my name in gold. I am just desperate to serve.

 

“That’s the reason I paid the money. I just want to do my part for the country. That agency was established to bring in foreign investments to Nigeria and make Nigeria a preferred destination for foreign investors.

 

“I walk around the inter-ministerial agencies and partner with the MDAs and EFCC to make Nigeria a preferred world destination for investments.

 

“So, it’s not about personal interest. Before this whole brouhaha, we were expecting the world to be in Nigeria through our forthcoming global summit.

 

Adeyemi maintained that it was not unconnected to his passion for Nigeria’s outlook in the world, attracting foreign investors and promoting President Bola Tinubu’s administration, rather than for personal interest.

 

He also claimed that he was not aware of his agency’s budget insertion and defence in the national budget approved by the National Assembly and assented to by the President.

 

Dismissing the Presidency’s stance of being alien to the agency, Matthew said, “This whole thing is confusing especially when the Presidency said that the agency does not exist.

 

How come? The agency that found its way into the national budget. I didn’t prepare any budget. In fact, I was in detention for 23 days when the budget for the Presidential Foreign Council was prepared and defended in the National Assembly between October and November.

 

“The former Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had invited me to explain how I came about the agency from the Chief of Staff to the President.

 

” I gave him the name and number of the person that facilitated the appointment letter for me. I was thereafter detained.

 

“How come the budget that nobody defended still found its way into the national budget?

 

“By the time I came out on November 19, 2025, I was charged to court and they said the same office space had been reallocated to another government official.

 

“So I’ve not been going to the office since that October 27.”

 

While fielding questions on Gbajabiamila petitioning him, the embattled DG stressed that he did not meet with the Chief of Staff to discuss the petition, but admitted speaking with him on the phone through his late friend, Dolapo Tanimola.

 

He argued that he has all the documents backing the establishment of the agency and is willing to submit them to the relevant authorities, stressing that he is ready to turn himself in for further clarification.

 

He continued, “Any moment from now, I will go to the police and DSS to submit every document that I have to support the investigation.

 

“My friend (Tanimola), who paid the money for the establishment of the agency, is now dead in a fire accident in a hotel in Utako, Abuja.”

 

Police had raided Adeyemi father’s house in Ogbomoso, Oyo state arrested him and is currently being detained in lieu of his son’s absence.

PFIPC Probe: Nigerians Deserve To See Full, Unredacted Report – ADC

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni 

 

African Democratic Congress (ADC) has insisted that only an independent judicial panel can guarantee a credible and impartial probe of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal.

 

The party dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the council.

 

In a statement issued in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said while the President’s decision to order an investigation validates the ADC’s earlier demand for a probe, entrusting the exercise to an agency under the Executive raises serious questions about its independence.

 

“The President has now accepted the central argument advanced by the ADC—that this scandal requires investigation and cannot simply be explained away as the Presidency initially attempted to do.

 

“However, assigning the investigation to the ICPC, an agency under the Executive, creates the impression that the President intends to keep the investigation in-house and ultimately be a judge in his own case. 

 

“A Presidency that is at the centre of a scandal of this magnitude lacks the credibility to investigate itself.”

 

The opposition party urged President Tinubu to constitute an independent judicial panel comprising respected Nigerians to restore public confidence and ensure that the truth is established without interference.

 

ADC also faulted the Presidency for prematurely describing the appointment letters and official documents presented by Mr. Adeyemi Adeniyi as “forged” before any investigation had commenced.

 

According to the party, one of the key objectives of the investigation should be to determine whether the documents were genuinely issued, fraudulently obtained, improperly authorised, or forged.

 

“By declaring the documents forged before investigations begin, the government has effectively prejudged the outcome and compromised the integrity of the entire process,” the statement noted.

 

The party further demanded that all relevant government offices, including the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, be subjected to the same level of scrutiny.

 

It argued that the Chief of Staff should proceed on leave pending the conclusion of investigations to eliminate any perception that he could influence the process or benefit from his position.

 

ADC also called on the Presidency to guarantee that the findings of the investigation would be released publicly.

 

“A report submitted only to the President is not enough. Nigerians deserve to see the full, unredacted report, and its recommendations must be implemented without fear or favour,” the party stated.

 

The opposition warned that merely punishing “scapegoats” while shielding powerful officials would neither satisfy public demand for justice nor restore Nigeria’s credibility before the international community.

 

The party also condemned the reported arrest of Mr. Adeyemi Adeniyi’s father, describing it as an act of intimidation and a violation of the principle that criminal liability is personal.

 

“It is an established principle of Nigerian law that there is no vicarious criminal liability.

 

 “Arresting a suspect’s father while senior public officials who have questions to answer remain untouched only reinforces the impression that the government is more interested in silencing people than uncovering the truth,” ADC noted.

 

The party maintained that the PFIPC controversy has become a national security issue that exposes either serious institutional failure or official complicity and warned that it must not be swept under the carpet.

 

“The ADC will continue to monitor developments closely. This matter must be investigated transparently and independently because the credibility of our institutions and the integrity of the Nigerian Presidency are now at stake,” the statement concluded.

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