The Presidency has officially distanced the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, from the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), citing police forensic analysis that confirmed the signature on the council’s appointment documentation was forged.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Forgery Investigation: Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed that police forensic experts determined the documents paraded by the PFIPC Director-General (DG) were fake. The case is currently filed at the Federal Court, with Gbajabiamila and 10 others listed as prosecution witnesses.

• Release of Adeyemi’s Father: The Nigeria Police Force released the father of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the alleged DG of the PFIPC, following extensive questioning regarding his son’s whereabouts. Police officers had previously searched the family home on Monday in an attempt to locate Adeyemi.

• Legal Defense: Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, criticized the arrest of the elder Adeyemi as unlawful harassment. He emphasized that his client, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has consistently appeared in court for his ongoing trial regarding charges of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation, and is scheduled to attend the next hearing on July 27.

• Senate Stance: The Senate stated it cannot intervene in the controversy because no formal petition has been submitted to the National Assembly and the matter is already sub judice. While the Senate confirmed the existence of a ₦1.3 billion budgetary allocation for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act, the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, clarified that the legislature did not create this budget line and that security vetting of agency heads is an executive responsibility.

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a Presidential Working Group, chaired by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to develop the legal framework for implementing state police in Nigeria. The committee was established at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, with the goal of creating a “technically robust, implementation-ready” National Policing Bill.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Purpose: While the recent constitutional amendment established a framework for dual policing, the National Policing Bill is necessary to operationalize it and define the legal structure for implementation.

• Legislative Scope: The proposed bill will address several critical areas, including minimum policing standards, certification of state readiness, coordination between federal and state levels, accountability, human rights safeguards, and fiscal conditions.

• Committee Mandate: The working group is tasked with preparing the draft bill immediately, rather than waiting for the constitutional process to conclude, and will also recommend other necessary legal instruments to ensure a smooth transition.

• Membership: The group comprises high-level officials, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police, and a dedicated secretariat.

Parallel Market (Black Market): In the Lagos parallel market, the US dollar is trading at approximately ₦1,400.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶