From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Cross River State has disclosed that the command has arrested two men for allegedly leading an armed syndicate who terrorized licensed miners in Yakurr Local Council Area of the state and illegally made away with solid minerals.

The State Commandant, Okarazu Chima, made the disclosure in Calabar yesterday during interaction with journalists at the Command Headquarters in Calabar while parading the suspects.

According to the Commandant, operatives of the Corps stormed a mining site in Agoi Ibami, Yakurr LCA on August 19, 2026 following credible intelligence from members of the public.

During the raid, the operatives apprehended Stephen Ibiang Francis, 34, and Gideon Emmanuel Okoi, 24, both natives of Nkpani village in Yakurr. The suspects were found in possession of two locally fabricated firearms and materials suspected to be charms.

Okarazu said investigations revealed that the suspects were not just illegal miners but armed enforcers who had turned the mining site into a theatre of violence.

“They operate as armed enforcers,” the Commandant stated. “Their modus operandi involves heavily arming themselves with locally fabricated firearms and charms, and storming the mining sites at Agoi Ibami. They use these weapons to systematically terrorize, intimidate, and violently chase away licensed, legitimate miners from the site. Once the legal operators flee out of fear for their lives, these armed suspects and their cohorts take over the site to illegally mine and cart away precious solid minerals.”

He described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the Command’s “aggressive and ongoing kinetic operations against economic saboteurs” plundering the state’s solid mineral resources.

The NSCDC boss issued a stern warning to other illegal miners and armed syndicates operating in the forests of Cross River.

“Let this arrest serve as a definitive, uncompromising warning to all illegal miners and armed syndicates lurking in the forests of Cross River State. The era of intimidating legitimate investors and plundering our commonwealth is over,” he said.

“Solid minerals constitute Critical National Assets. To those who think they can bear unlicensed arms to enforce illegal mining operations: we have superior firepower, we have the intelligence network, and under the visionary leadership of the Commandant General, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, we will hunt you down.”

 Okarazu assured that legitimate and licensed miners would be given necessary security cover to operate peacefully and contribute to the state’s economic development.

He said the two suspects are currently in custody and have made useful statements. The Command, he added, is expanding investigations to track down the manufacturers of the firearms and other fleeing members of the syndicate.

“Once investigations are concluded, they will be charged to a court of competent jurisdiction for illegal possession of firearms, armed intimidation, and illegal mining,” he said.

The Commandant also commended members of the public whose tip-off led to the arrest, urging citizens to continue to volunteer information.

“When you ‘See Something and Say Something,’ you empower us to protect your communities,” he said.

The arrest comes amid growing concerns over illegal mining and the use of arms by criminal gangs to take over mining sites across the country.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has accused some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of working against him ahead of the 2027 general elections, even as he declared an unwavering commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

Wike, who spoke on Wednesday during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, specifically named Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodimma, as governors with whom he has had political disagreements.

The FCT minister alleged that some APC governors were more interested in being seen as the President’s closest political allies than in doing the actual work required to secure victory for Tinubu in 2027.

“You see, the problem with people is that they want to be seen as the ones working for the President. I don’t do that,” Wike said.

Asked whether he was referring to the Kwara governor, he replied in the affirmative.

Wike accused AbdulRazaq of leading a campaign against him over allegations that he was sponsoring political candidates in Kwara State. He also questioned the political consequences of the governor’s decision to remove three senators and a member of the House of Representatives from the APC.

According to him, the affected lawmakers could defect to opposition platforms ahead of the 2027 election, potentially weakening Tinubu’s support base.

“Now, these senators you removed, you have no place for them. Therefore, do you prefer them to go to ADC or to go to PDP?” he asked.

Wike argued that politicians who move to opposition parties could eventually work against Tinubu, whereas those who remain politically aligned with him would support the President.

“If they come to me, obviously, they will vote for Mr President,” he said.

On his reported disagreement with Uzodimma, Wike maintained that the Imo governor was fully aware of the political support he had received from him in the past.

“The governor of Imo State knows the support I gave to him very well,” he said.

The minister also rejected allegations that he was sponsoring Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates across the states ahead of 2027. He disclosed that some APC governors had approached him with requests to ensure that the PDP did not field candidates in their states.

Wike said he rejected any suggestion that his support for Tinubu meant the PDP should abandon its candidates nationwide.

He, however, made it clear that his overriding political objective was to ensure Tinubu’s victory in 2027.

Wike said his open support for the President could make him a prime target of the opposition if Tinubu loses the election, but insisted that the prospect would not make him withdraw his support.

“Peradventure anything happens and Mr President fails, I will be the first politician that Atiku, Obi will hunt for his head,” he said.

The minister said he had no regrets about his political position, despite the criticism and attacks directed at him.

“I don’t see where anybody in this country today has been called names the way my name has been. I am not bothered about people who say their own thing. My business is, like I said, I am going to support Mr President,” he declared.

Wike said his commitment to Tinubu’s re-election had become a central focus of his political activities, stressing that he was prepared to bear whatever consequences might arise from his decision.

“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the President’s re-election. When I am eating, I think about the President’s re-election. Everything I am doing now is about the President’s re-election,” he stated.

By David Torough, Abuja

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has uncovered 58 bank accounts allegedly linked to its disputed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, as well as 12 agencies, companies, foundations and related entities associated with him.

The committee, in its preliminary findings presented on Wednesday in Abuja, also flagged an alleged N400 million transaction involving claims that Adeyemi induced a company to make payments in four instalments after representing that he could secure a contract for the renovation, furnishing or improvement of an official residence purportedly allocated to him as PFIPC Director-General.

Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, said preliminary financial information obtained from relevant institutions showed that more than 30 of the 58 accounts appeared to have been operated in the names of about nine agencies, companies, foundations or related entities.

Among the organisations identified were the FCT Investment Promotion Council and FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership; Confederation of United Nations Youths; Foreign Investment Promotion Agency; United Nations Youth Global Agency; United Nations Youth Global Foundation; World United Nations Youth Global Foundation; World Entrepreneurship University Limited; World Enterprise University Limited; FCT Investment Promotion Act; FCT Promotion Agency; and Olubadan of Ibadan Foundation.

The committee, however, stressed that the discovery of the accounts and entities did not, by itself, establish that every account, organisation or transaction was unlawful.

Gagdi said the panel was still reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information, signatories and transaction histories to determine the true ownership, control and purpose of the organisations and accounts.

According to him, similarities in the names, objectives, management structures, signatories and banking relationships of several of the entities had raised concerns about a possible pattern of creating or deploying organisations to project artificial credibility, obtain official recognition, solicit funds or induce members of the public to part with money.

A major finding of the investigation is that the purported PFIPC was never lawfully established.

The committee said it found no valid Act of the National Assembly, gazetted enactment, presidential executive order or other lawful instrument establishing the organisation.

It also raised concerns over documents allegedly used to confer official status on the council, including a purported presidential appointment letter for Adeyemi, an alleged Executive Order and a document presented as an Act of the National Assembly establishing the organisation.

Gagdi said evidence obtained from the State House indicated that the purported appointment letter was neither issued nor signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. The letterhead and reference number were also said to be inconsistent with official State House correspondence.

The committee consequently exonerated Gbajabiamila from allegations that he authorised, established or participated in the activities of the purported council.

Rather, the panel said evidence showed that he promptly alerted relevant security and investigative agencies after receiving information about the organisation’s activities, including the Nigeria Police Force, Office of the National Security Adviser, Department of State Services and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The alleged N400 million transaction has emerged as one of the most significant financial aspects of the investigation.

According to the committee, a company alleged that Adeyemi induced it to make payments in four instalments after representing that he could secure a contract connected with the renovation, furnishing or improvement of a purported official residence allocated to him in his claimed capacity as PFIPC Director-General.

The panel said it was tracing the destination of the funds, identifying account holders and beneficial owners and determining whether public officers or private individuals participated in, facilitated or benefited from the transaction.

Gagdi said that if the allegations were established through competent investigative and judicial processes, they could disclose offences including fraudulent misrepresentation, obtaining money by false pretence, impersonation, conspiracy, forgery and offences relating to the concealment or movement of proceeds of crime.

Beyond the alleged financial activities, the lawmakers said the probe exposed weaknesses in the verification of government institutions and the processes through which organisations obtain administrative and budgetary recognition.

The committee is investigating how an entity it says was never lawfully established was nevertheless able to secure apparent recognition within the Federal Government’s administrative machinery and find its way into the 2026 budget framework.

The panel identified possible lapses in the creation of administrative and budget codes, authentication of official correspondence, allocation of government accommodation and processing of official-looking vehicle number plates.

The purported council allegedly reinforced its claim to government legitimacy by occupying office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat Complex and operating a website portraying it as a Federal Government institution.

The committee also said the organisation used the names, offices and photographs of President Bola Tinubu and other senior government officials without authorisation.

About 39 individuals were reportedly represented as employees of the purported organisation. The committee is examining their recruitment, appointment letters, identity cards and remuneration, as well as allegations that some prospective employees were required to make payments as a condition for employment.

The committee recommended that Ministries, Departments and Agencies immediately stop recognising, transacting with or extending government privileges to the purported PFIPC or any related entity whose legal status has not been independently verified.

It also urged relevant authorities to ensure that no appropriation, administrative code, warrant, cash backing, financial release or government facility is processed in favour of the organisation.

Financial institutions and investigative agencies were asked to preserve relevant account records, transaction histories, account mandates and beneficial ownership information.

The committee further called for the prompt conclusion of criminal and financial investigations and, where sufficient admissible evidence is established, prosecution before courts of competent jurisdiction.

It recommended the tracing, preservation, freezing and recovery of proceeds or assets derived from any established unlawful conduct, subject to applicable legal requirements and judicial authorisation.

The panel also proposed stronger authentication procedures for the creation of government institutions and administrative and budget codes, as well as official correspondence purportedly emanating from the Presidency and other high offices.

It recommended the establishment or strengthening of a centralised digital verification platform through which the lawful existence, establishing instrument and status of every Federal Government institution can be independently authenticated.

Gagdi said the committee would continue investigating the ownership and control of the identified accounts, the alleged N400 million transaction, the purported official residence, special number plates, occupation of government accommodation and the roles of public officers and private individuals connected with the matter.

He said outstanding evidence would be obtained from institutions and public officers yet to fully comply with the committee’s requests, while all affected persons would be given fair hearing before definitive conclusions are reached.

The chairman stressed that the findings presented were preliminary and did not amount to a final determination of criminal guilt, which remains the responsibility of courts of competent jurisdiction.

The committee’s final report is expected to be submitted to the House upon its resumption from its annual recess, after which lawmakers may consider, debate, adopt, amend or reject the findings and recommendations.

Gagdi said the investigation was ultimately aimed at protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s institutions and preventing individuals or organisations from manufacturing governmental authority for private advantage.

“The Presidency cannot be impersonated with impunity,” he said.