By Felix Umande

The Federal Government has inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for the commemoration of Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, with emphasis on reflecting on the enduring legacies of the founding fathers.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in Abuja, the Chairman of the Committee and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON, said the anniversary provides an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the contributions, sacrifices and enduring legacies of the nation’s founding fathers and heroines who worked for independence from colonial rule.

The SGF, who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office (PEAO), Mrs. Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens, noted that the achievements recorded since independence were built on the foundation laid by the country’s nationalists, stressing the importance of remembering their sacrifices while reflecting on the nation’s journey since October 1, 1960.

He said the anniversary would also provide an opportunity for the present administration to showcase its achievements and highlight efforts being undertaken to reposition the country through its reform initiatives, against the backdrop of socio-economic challenges.

He emphasised that activities for this year’s celebration would be low-key, while urging members of the Committee to work with urgency given the limited time before October 1.

According to him, the programme of activities will commence with a World Press Conference on Thursday, September 24, 2026; Juma’at Service on Friday, September 25; Church Service on Sunday, September 27, 2026; Independence Day Public Lecture on Wednesday, September 30, 2026; and the nationwide broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

The Committee comprises the SGF as Chairman, with the following as members: Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele; Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Barr. Nyesom Wike; Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, CON; National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; and Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.

Other members include Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Chief Sunday Dare; Permanent Secretary, State House, Engr. Temitope Peter Fashedemi; Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO), Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Ms. Kachollom Daju, mni; Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office (CAO), Dr. John Chidiebere Ezeamama; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu; Director-General, Department of State Services, Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi; Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig. Gen. Adebisi Olusegun Onasanya; and Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office (PEAO), Mrs. Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens.

The Terms of Reference of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, according to the SGF, include planning, organising and executing all approved activities for the October 1, 2026 Independence Day celebration; co-opting any organisation or individual considered relevant to the successful execution of the programme; documenting the planned activities for posterity; and undertaking any other assignment that may be required to ensure the successful implementation of the celebration.

By Seyi Balogun
 
N140,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Forty Million Naira) has been recoverd and handed over to an investment and money-lending company, B4 Sail Limited, by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Office on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The funds, handed over in bank drafts by the Acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, followed investigations into an alleged case of obtaining money by false pretence and diversion of funds involving one Jacob Oyebola Esan and companies linked to him.

In a petition submitted on April 20, 2026, B4 Sail Limited alleged that Esan, on behalf of his company, Geo Fields Plc, had approached the company in August 2025 for a N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) loan facility to boost his business.

The loan facility, according to the petitioner, attracted an interest rate of 15 per cent per month and had a tenor of one month.

Investigation revealed that Esan, who is the first suspect, had previously obtained other loan facilities from the company, bringing his total loan exposure to N1,065,000,000.00 (One Billion, Sixty-Five Million Naira).

It was also revealed that Esan pledged shares held by him as collateral for the facilities through Calyx Securities Limited, the clearing house for the stocks, with the understanding that the shares would be subject to a lien in favour of B4 Sail Limited and that the company would have the first right of payment upon the sale of the shares.
The lien, investigation revealed, was communicated to B4 Sail Limited through a letter signed by the second suspect, Gbolahan Azeez Bello, Managing Director, Calyx Securities Limited.

Further investigation, however, revealed that the shares pledged as collateral had been sold without the knowledge of the petitioner, resulting in the suspect’s alleged default in repaying the facilities.

Consequently, the outstanding loan and accrued interest had risen to N2,250,500,000.00 (Two Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Kaltungo stated that the recovery “represents a further step in the Commission’s efforts to ensure that funds and assets recovered in the course of its investigations are appropriately returned to legitimate owners and victims in accordance with due process.

By Isa Abdul, Abuja

A motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to forfeit properties allegedly linked to former minister of Power, Engr. Saleh Mamman, has been struck out by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The court dimissed the EFCC’s motion, dated July 29, 2026, and filed under Section 20 of the EFCC Act 2004, Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, and Section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution in charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024, after it was withdrawn by prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed.

Mohammed told the court the decision to withdraw it followed Mamman’s appeal against the entire judgment at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.

The motion had sought a consequential order to permanently forfeit to the federal government properties the commission traced to Mamman after his conviction and sentencing.

Defence counsel Femi Atteh did not oppose the withdrawal, and Justice Omotosho granted the application as prayed, striking out the motion in a brief ruling.

Meanwhile, Mamman asked the Court of Appeal to quash his conviction.

Mamman was convicted by Justice Omotosho on 12 counts tied to an alleged N33.8 billion fraud and handed consecutive prison terms totalling 75 years.

He has now approached the Court of Appeal, through a notice of appeal dated May 26, 2026 filed by his legal team led by Femi Atteh, SAN, asking the appellate court to quash the conviction and discharge and acquit him.

The appeal rests on 18 grounds. Central among them is a claim that his right to fair hearing was violated when judgement was delivered in his absence on May 7, 2026, despite an earlier adjournment to June 9, 2026 for judgement.

His team argues the date was abridged without any hearing notice served on him, that he never waived his right to be present, and that this breached Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

Other grounds raised include: That the trial judge blocked his subpoenaed witness, Abdulkareem Ozi Ibrahim, (who was a Director Special Projects Accounts, in Accountant General of the Federation office), from testifying in his defence, while improperly allowing the prosecution to reopen examination-in-chief of the same witness after it had already closed and the matter had been adjourned for cross-examination.

That the conviction relied substantially on uncorroborated accomplice evidence, and on counts 7–12 to which no plea was ever taken.

That the trial court wrongly found that funds from the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric power projects were diverted for his personal use, when the funds were domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria and controlled by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and he was neither an approving authority nor a signatory to the accounts.

That key findings rested on hearsay, disregarded documentary evidence, and amounted to speculation. That the court improperly shifted the burden of proof onto him by holding that he failed to explain the source of funds used to purchase a property at No.12 Lungi Street, Wuse II, Abuja.

That his extra-judicial statements were admitted without compliance with Sections 15 and 17 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, including the absence of any audio-visual recording of the statements.

That the trial judge showed clear bias against him throughout the proceedings, occasioning a miscarriage of justice.

The conviction and 75-year sentence have drawn strong criticism from Mamman’s family and legal representatives, who have described elements of the trial as troubling.

They pointed to the accelerated delivery and service of the judgement as particularly concerning, alongside earlier defence complaints over disputed documentation, witness contradictions, disclosure issues and what they called weak evidentiary links concerns they say warrant further legal scrutiny.