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.

–Convict’s husband arrested in another 3.2kg illicit drug traffick bid in Johannesburg

By Son Tertsegha

A 38-year-old South African lady, Ms. Will Jessica Ann has been convicted and sentenced to 40 years in jail for importing 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria.

In a statement by Femi Babafemi Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on
Thursday, 17th September 2026, disclosed that the convict was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja.

She was found to have concealed 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kilograms in her luggage, using her three-year-old son as a cover to beat security checks and evade thorough screening, the statement said.

However, during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha to Abuja on Monday 6th July 2026, NDLEA officers unraveled her trick. She initially denied travelling with check-in bags, but after operatives were able to quickly establish that the two bags containing the drugs had tags which tallied with the claim tags attached to her passport, she recounted and admitted ownership of the bags adding that she forgot she checked in the two bags.

She claimed to have travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja. Intelligence leading to her arrest indicates she is a member of a transnational drug trafficking organization along with her husband/partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, based in Cambodia from where they operate their drug network along the Cambodian-South African axis. The husband has also since been arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa on 27th July 2026 while attempting to traffic 3.2kg illicit drug to Hongkong.

Ms. Will Jessica Ann was subsequently arraigned on a two-count charge in suit FHC/ABJ/CR/422/2026 bordering on importation of 5.75kg heroin and conspiracy to import 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria, offences to which she pleaded guilty before Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of the Federal High Court Abuja.

Delivering his judgement on the matter on Thursday, 17th September, 2026, Justice Egwuatu convicted and sentenced Ms. Will Jessica Ann to 15 years in jail on count 1 and 25 years on count 2, bringing the total years of imprisonment to 40 years. The sentence will however run concurrently.

Reacting to the conviction, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the judgement as a firm demonstration of the resolve of the Nigerian judiciary to support the Agency’s war against drug trafficking and a strong deterrent to transnational drug cartels seeking to use Nigeria as a transit or destination point for hard drugs.

Marwa noted that the case reinforces the Agency’s long-standing position that Nigeria will not serve as a soft landing for international drug cartels, stressing that the arrest of the convict’s husband in South Africa barely three weeks later, while attempting a separate trafficking operation to Hong Kong, is clear evidence of the strength of intelligence-sharing and collaboration between NDLEA and its international partners.

He said the swift dispensation of justice in the matter, from arrest to conviction reflects the effectiveness of NDLEA’s operations and its close working relationship with the Federal High Court.

He warned that the Agency will continue to strengthen airport interdiction, intelligence-led operations, and international collaboration to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks using Nigeria as a corridor, adding that anyone, regardless of nationality, caught trafficking illicit drugs through Nigerian territory will face the full weight of the law.