President Tinubu Orders Arrests, Suspends Permanent Secretaries

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered another fake agency operating from within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

According to sources familiar with the investigation, the illegal entity was discovered during an ongoing probe into fraudulent government structures. The so-called agency allegedly functioned under the cover of the SGF’s office, raising serious questions about internal oversight and possible collusion by senior civil servants.

In a swift response, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of all individuals linked to the fake agency. The President has also directed the suspension of the Permanent Secretaries connected to the matter pending the conclusion of full investigations.

The development marks another high-profile case of institutional fraud being exposed by the ICPC within the Federal Civil Service. Officials say further details of the operation and the identities of those involved are expected to be made public as the probe intensifies.

The Presidency has described the discovery as “unacceptable” and vowed that those found culpable will face the full weight of the law.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released the preliminary report on its ongoing investigation into the accident involving an Embraer ERJ 170-100LR aircraft with nationality and registration marks 5N-ENR, operated by Enugu Air Limited.

This was disclosed on Friday by Mrs Funke Adebayo-Arowojobe
Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB.  

The accident occurred on 23 July 2026 at about 14:55 h during a scheduled passenger flight ENU4264 from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Oba Akenzua II Airport, Benin, Edo State.

The aircraft, which had five crew members and 63 passengers on board, landed on Runway 05 at Oba Akenzua II Airport and subsequently overran the end of the runway, entering the unpaved area beyond the runway.

The aircraft struck approach-lighting installations and two fixed concrete structures associated with a decommissioned localizer installation.

All 68 occupants were evacuated without injury using the emergency escape slide.

The preliminary report presents the factual information gathered so far, including information from witness statements, flight recorders, air traffic control communications and a preliminary inspection of the aircraft.

The investigation remains ongoing, and further technical examinations are underway.

The preliminary report also contains four immediate safety recommendations, A-2026-039 to A-2026-042, addressed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, concerning the runway-end environment, control tower line of sight and the availability of meteorological information.

The preliminary report is available for download on the NSIB website for members of the public and the media.

As part of its commitment to public transparency and the communication of safety information, the NSIB has also released a preliminary flight path recreation video based on data available at this stage of the investigation.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of preparations for the 2027 general election.

The exercise will test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment, allowing the Commission to identify and address potential operational challenges ahead of the polls.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Canadian High Commission to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

He said that the mock exercise was among INEC’s five strategic priorities for 2027, alongside strengthening technology, improving electoral inclusion, building institutional capacity, and combating misinformation.

Amupitan also said that INEC would require about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel to conduct the 2027 elections across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.