News
Adeniyi reveals how ‘PFIPC’ entered 2026 budget
Adeniyi denied implicating the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, insisting he had never met him in person.
•Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi
The embattled Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has revealed that he personally lobbied officials of the Budget Office to secure the inclusion of the controversial agency in the 2026 Federal Government budget.
Adeniyi made the claim in an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a video released on Instagram after his arrest.
The alleged agency, which the Federal Government has described as non-existent, was allocated about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, triggering widespread controversy and ongoing investigations.
In the interview, Adeniyi denied implicating the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, insisting he had never met him in person.
According to him, he first approached the Budget Office in December 2024 to seek the agency’s inclusion in the 2025 budget but was informed that the appropriation process had already closed.
” I submitted the letter and everything I wanted, but I was told it was already late,” he said.
He claimed officials later advised him that the proposal would instead be considered for the 2026 budget and that he maintained contact with them throughout the process.
Adeniyi further alleged that a female official introduced him to the Director-General of the Budget Office, who later referred him to another senior official to continue discussions on the proposal.
He maintained that although efforts were made to include the agency in the 2025 budget, it was eventually deferred to the 2026 appropriation.Asked whether he paid any official to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied offering bribes, saying he only promised to assist with employment opportunities once the agency became operational.“I did not pay anybody. The only thing I promised was that if I started employing people, I could help them with employment opportunities,” he said.
Source: The Star
An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus on fire after it reportedly crushed a commercial motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Friday, October 16, 2026. Eyewitness accounts and social media reports indicate that the motorcyclist was riding alone along the restricted BRT lane when the collision happened. He died at the scene.
Enraged residents and youths then attacked the bus driver and set the vehicle ablaze. Police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), who were nearby, intervened promptly and rescued the driver unharmed.
The identity of the deceased motorcyclist and the exact circumstances of the crash had not been officially confirmed at the time of filing this report. It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the burning of the bus.
News
ARISE News Wins Seven Honours At Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards
The awards recognised the network’s achievements in television journalism and programming, with ARISE News winning the Best TV Channel (Viewer’s Choice) category.
• ARISE News Anchor and host of What’s Trending Ojy Okpe was named Best Newscaster (TV – Female)
ARISE News has emerged as one of the major winners at the just ended Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards (NBMA).
ARISE News won seven honours across television broadcasting, news reporting, presentation and production during the ceremony.
The awards recognised the network’s achievements in television journalism and programming, with ARISE News winning the Best TV Channel (Viewer’s Choice) category.
The network’s flagship breakfast programme, The Morning Show, also won the Best TV Talk Show award, further strengthening its recognition in television broadcasting.
ARISE News Anchor and host of What’s Trending Ojy Okpe was named Best Newscaster (TV – Female).
Rufai Oseni was named Nigerian Broadcaster of the Year (Male), while Vimbai Mutinhiri-Ekpeyong received the Nigerian Broadcaster of the Year (Female) award.
The recognition extended to the network’s newsroom, with Ovieteme George winning Best TV News Reporter (Male) for his contributions to television news reporting.
Behind the camera, Sam Adeyemi received the Best Camera Operator/Cinematographer award, recognising his work in television production and visual storytelling.
News
Meta removes 3.7 million accounts in West Africa scam crackdown
The joint operation led to 28 arrests, identified more than 30 suspected scam centres and rescued 117 people allegedly trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds in Ghana.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has removed more than 3.7 million Facebook and Instagram accounts, pages and groups linked to suspected scam networks operating in West Africa.
The joint operation led to 28 arrests, identified more than 30 suspected scam centres and rescued 117 people allegedly trafficked and forced to work in scam compounds in Ghana.
The company announced the crackdown in a statement on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. It involved 14 technology companies and law enforcement agencies from 10 countries.
The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency coordinated the operation with the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies. Nigerian authorities were involved.
Other countries included Ghana, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India.Tech companies that took part included Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Coinbase, Starlink and Adobe.
Meta said the partnership let participants share intelligence across digital platforms, countries and financial systems to identify criminal networks.
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