The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to invite the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation to explain how the N1.3 billion allocation of the ‘fictitious’ Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) found its way into the 2026 budget.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), who described the scandal as a serious threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s appropriation process and public financial management.

This is coming after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the controversial council and submit a report within 30 days. ExecutiveBranch

The Senate had distanced itself from the PFIPC, its purported Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, and the council’s N1.3 billion allocation in the budget, maintaining that the scandal is an executive matter it would not dabble into, except it receives a petition to that effect. It further declined on Wednesday to investigate the matter.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had issued a disclaimer, dismissing the existence of the PFIPC, but Adeyemi countered, describing it as “a cloud of public misrepresentation, institutional denial and a deliberate attempt to silence legitimate questions that concern matters of national interest.”

Consequently, the Presidency, in a July 1 statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, tagged Adeyemi a “con artist” and stated that the police had filed a criminal charge against him.

The statement was, however, silent on the inclusion of the disputed council in the budget and an alleged sum of N400 million Adeyemi claimed to have paid Gbajabiamila by proxy to facilitate his appointment. A further scrutiny of the statement raised more critical questions bordering on public accountability, transparency and institutional integrity.

Findings further revealed that Adeyemi got approvals for the employment of 300 staff members and an office space at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, and opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

But the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) insisted that the disputed council had no account with the apex bank, contradicting the Presidency’s statement that Adeyemi used fake documents and misled the OAGF to fraudulently open a CBN account.

After Adeyemi went into hiding, police raided his family residence in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Monday and arrested his father, who was later released after questioning.

Moving the motion for the probe of the controversial council at the plenary on Wednesday, Gagdi recalled that it operated from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and engaged with several government institutions.

He told lawmakers that the organisation is already the subject of criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja, stressing that the House inquiry would be limited to the budgetary implications and institutional failures that enabled the phony council to gain official recognition.

According to him, the organisation relied on a document claiming it was established under “Chapter N2117 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.”

He, however, said records of the National Assembly showed that no legislation establishing such a council had been enacted, adding that the closest existing law was the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) Act.

Gagdi expressed concerns that more than N1.3 billion was reflected in the 2026 budget for the council, saying the development raised fundamental questions about the integrity of the budget preparation and approval process.

“The ease with which a single unestablished entity was processed through official channels suggests a systemic vulnerability rather than an isolated administrative lapse,” he said.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House resolved to constitute an ad hoc committee to trace how the budgetary provision found its way into the budget, from the executive proposal through legislative consideration.

Lawmakers also directed that all ministries, departments, agencies and government bodies contained in the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Frameworks be verified against their respective legal instruments of establishment.

The House further requested the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to confirm that no public funds had been released and that no payment warrants would be issued in favour of the PFIPC pending the conclusion of the investigation.

It also mandated the Budget Office of the Federation to, henceforth, submit alongside every appropriation bill a comprehensive and certified list of all agencies proposed for funding, indicating the enabling law establishing each of them to prevent the inclusion of fictitious entities.

In his contribution, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, disclosed that he had personally received representatives of the organisation after his office was sent a letterhead bearing the Presidency’s insignia.

According to him, the correspondence, dated May 2, 2025, came from a body identifying itself as both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) and the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

Kalu said the letter carried a federal secretariat address, an official-looking government logo and a “. gov.ng” website, prompting his office to verify the organisation’s location before granting the delegation an audience.

He said although officials confirmed that the organisation operated from the stated office, the visitors abandoned the policy issues contained in their letter during the meeting and appeared more interested in taking photographs.

“This shows that having the Presidency on a letterhead is no longer sufficient proof that an agency is genuine,” the Deputy Speaker said, adding that the House must establish how the organisation secured office accommodation within the federal secretariat and gained access to senior government officials.

The Yoruba community in the Ojoo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, says Hausa scavengers have been given seven days to leave the community following the violent clash that left at least two people dead and heightened tension across the area.

Speaking after a meeting with government officials, the leader of the Yoruba community in Ojoo, Folagbade Azeez, said residents had been assured by the Oyo State government that the scavengers would vacate the area within one week.

“They called us and when we got there we saw things happening and how they were shooting guns, even the chairman of our local government can confirm and it’s those scavengers, we are not safe,” Azeez said.

“If something like that is happening and they start shooting… One of the bullets is with our chairman. We do not want them there because we are not safe.

“We have been assured that they would leave the area, we want peace and we do not want problems. We thank the deputy governor for the assurance. They have said they would be made to leave the area in seven days.”

There was reported tension in the Ojoo area of Ibadan on Wednesday following a violent clash between Yoruba traders and Hausa scavengers that reportedly left a commercial tricycle (Maruwa) operator dead and a young boy, who was said to be on his way to buy noodles, fatally struck by a stray bullet.

The violence, which stirred fear across the commercial district, also forced traders to shut down their businesses as gunshots rang out in several parts of the area.

Report says the crisis began on Tuesday night at about 11 p.m. when a commercial tricycle operator reportedly went to withdraw money from a Point of Sale (POS) operator
According to eyewitnesses, an argument broke out after the transaction allegedly failed to reflect despite the POS operator claiming that cash had already been handed over to the tricycle rider.

The rider reportedly left his tricycle key and mobile phone with the POS operator as security, assuring those present that he would not flee while the transaction issue was being resolved.

However, within minutes, a group of suspected Hausa scavengers allegedly stormed the scene and attacked the tricycle operator.

The victim was reportedly stabbed repeatedly until he died from his injuries.

The killing triggered outrage among residents and traders, with the violence escalating into armed confrontations on Wednesday morning.

In a viral video ,one of the Yoruba traders, who said he narrowly escaped death after being shot at by suspected Hausa scavengers, narrated how the violence unfolded.

He said, “What happened in Ojoo started since last (Tuesday) night, at about 11 p.m… A Maruwa (tricycle) operator went to withdraw money from a POS (operator). However, they said the money had not reflected, but they claimed they had already given the money to him.

“Meanwhile, the Maruwa operator gave the POS vendor his tricycle key together with his phone so that they would know he could not run away.”

“But in less than five minutes, they rushed to the place. They started attacking the young man, stabbing him repeatedly until he died. The young man has been dead since last night. The trouble started from last night and escalated,” he added.

The Oyo State Government later on Wednesday confirmed that four people were killed and several others injured during the clash.

The government also assured residents that those responsible for the violence would be arrested and prosecuted.

Paul Pogba’s spell at Monaco could be cut short after making just six appearances in an injury-plagued debut season.

Pogba joined the Ligue 1 outfit last June after his original four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months.

The 33-year-old signed a two-year deal at Monaco, but his 2025-26 campaign proved to be a nightmare as he only started one match and played a grand total of just 115 minutes across all of his outings.

The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder hoped to make France’s World Cup squad but those plans went awry due to his fitness issues and performance levels.

Pogba – who earned £290,000-per-week in his second spell at United – is reportedly earning below £44,000-per-week at Monaco, but despite the relatively low top-flight income he could be sold as the club look to lower their wage bill under the DNCG (French football’s financial watchdog) regulations.

Speaking to Get French Football News, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro said: ‘It is a complicated topic because we have a lot of respect for Paul, for the person he is. Since he arrived, he has been very positive.

‘It is also true that, last year, the project didn’t work well because when we started with him in the summer, the expectations were very different to what happened. I think that we have to be fair with him, follow his preparation every week, how he will progress physically and technically and then it will be the manager’s decision.

‘We have the summer to see what level we will see from Pogba. He could [leave at the end of the summer]. With Paul, it has always been a very open and transparent relationship.

‘If, at some point, the expectations of the player are different to the expectations of the club, we will have to speak to find a solution. The performance will give all the answers that we need. Maybe he will stay, maybe he will leave.’

Pogba was emotional when he signed for Monaco last summer, describing his comeback as a second chance after what he called ‘a time of darkness’.

The midfielder told Daily Mail Sport in 2024 that he discovered news of his reduced ban while preparing for a film premiere, adding: ‘We went through hell. A time of darkness. But this is my second chance, I have to use it.’