Two Grandfathers Among Five Arrested Over Alleged Motorcycle Theft Syndicate in Calabar

Police smash interstate criminal network stealing motorcycles and tricycles from Akwa Ibom for resale in Cross River.

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested five suspects, including two grandfathers aged 75 and 60, in connection with an alleged interstate motorcycle and tricycle theft syndicate operating between Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The suspects, identified as Okon Eyo Nsa, 75, and Essien Ukpong, 60, were allegedly part of a network that specialised in stealing motorcycles and tricycles from Akwa Ibom State and moving them to Cross River for sale. The younger members of the alleged gang were said to collect and drive the stolen vehicles to hidden locations, where prospective buyers were allegedly contacted, while the older suspects were responsible for linking up with buyers in Calabar and adjoining towns. The other suspects arrested include Archibong Archibong Nsa, 36; Nsa Essien Eyo, 24; and Effiong Archibong Sunday, 28. All five were apprehended by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Cross River State Police Command following an intelligence-led operation directed by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the operation began with the arrest of 28-year-old Effiong Archibong Sunday on August 31, 2026, at about 2:00 pm. One motorcycle suspected to have been stolen was recovered from him during the arrest. During preliminary investigation, the suspect allegedly made statements implicating himself and mentioned one “Elewe” as being connected with the suspected network. The suspect further alleged that Elewe was responsible for stealing motorcycles and tricycles in Akwa Ibom and transferring them to a man identified as “Efefiong” in Cross River for onward sale. Police stressed that these allegations remain subject to further investigation and judicial determination. Acting on the information obtained, VCRU operatives conducted a follow-up operation at about 3:00 am on September 1, leading to the arrest of four additional suspects allegedly connected with the suspected receiving and distribution network. Searches conducted at locations linked to the suspects, in accordance with applicable legal procedures, resulted in the recovery of three tricycles and one motorcycle suspected to have been stolen. Together with the motorcycle recovered during the initial arrest, the operation has so far yielded a total of five vehicles: three tricycles and two motorcycles. The command said the ownership and status of the recovered vehicles are currently being verified.

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The state Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, commended the VCRU operatives for what he described as their prompt and professional response. He reaffirmed his commitment to lawful, intelligence-led operations and strategic surveillance aimed at dismantling criminal syndicates across the state. CP Ordue warned persons involved in the theft, receiving, concealment or sale of stolen vehicles that the command would pursue all credible leads and take appropriate legal action against anyone found culpable. “I want to warn anybody or persons involved in the theft, receiving, concealment or sale of stolen vehicles that the Command would pursue all credible leads and take appropriate legal action against persons found culpable,” he stated. The Commissioner also urged motorcycle and tricycle owners and operators to promptly report thefts and provide credible information to assist the police in recovering stolen property and dismantling criminal networks. He cautioned members of the public against resorting to self-help, conducting unlawful searches or harassing persons suspected of criminal activity.

The command said further investigation was ongoing to establish the ownership and provenance of the recovered vehicles, identify other persons connected with the alleged offences and determine the full extent of the suspected network. The police stressed that the suspects remain innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Two Grandfathers Among Five Arrested Over Alleged Motorcycle Theft Syndicate in Calabar

Ogun Pastor Dies in Crash Hours After Allegedly Killing Wife in Domestic Dispute

CCC evangelist Abidemi Odukoya allegedly beat his wife to death before dying in a road accident while fleeing the scene in Ogun State.

The Ogun State community of Akinode/Ibogun has been thrown into mourning following the tragic deaths of a Celestial Church of Christ evangelist, Abidemi Odukoya, and his wife, Adenike, who died hours apart under circumstances linked to an alleged domestic violence incident.

The couple, who resided within the church premises of CCC Dews of Heaven Parish, also known as Iri Orun, were reportedly involved in a heated argument that escalated into a physical confrontation in the early hours of Monday, August 25, 2026. According to police sources, the incident was reported at approximately 2:00 am on August 31, 2026.

During the altercation, which occurred around 3:00 am, Adenike Odukoya allegedly sustained severe head injuries after her husband reportedly hit her against a wall, leaving her unconscious. Their son immediately raised the alarm, prompting neighbours and members of the local Community Development Association to rush to the scene in a desperate attempt to provide emergency assistance.

A former Chairman of the Community Development Association, Adejimi Olawumi, described the harrowing discovery in a video shared by Arole TV. He recounted being alerted by residents’ cries for help around 1:00 am. “On my way out, I saw Daniel. I asked him what happened, and he said it was his mum and dad,” Olawumi said. “Immediately, we got inside the house and saw the wife in a pool of blood. At that time, there were no vehicles to take her to the hospital. The son said he did not see what happened between his mum and dad because he was in the other room.”

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Despite the neighbours’ efforts to save her, Adenike Odukoya was pronounced dead at the scene. Her remains were evacuated and deposited at the Ifo General Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination. She was laid to rest at the family residence later that day, at approximately 2:00 pm.

After discovering that his wife was unresponsive, Evangelist Odukoya allegedly fled the residence. While residents were still grappling with the shocking discovery, another grim report emerged at approximately 6:00 am. The community received word that a man’s body had been found along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, in the Iyana Coker area of Ifo.

CDA officials who went to the location confirmed that the deceased was Evangelist Odukoya. He had reportedly been struck by an oncoming vehicle on the busy highway. Some eyewitness accounts alleged that the evangelist deliberately stepped into the path of an oncoming Dangote cement truck, but this claim has not been independently confirmed and remains under investigation. Detectives later visited the morgue where the unidentified body from the accident had been deposited. Photographs were taken and used for identification, after which investigators confirmed that the deceased was the man suspected of killing his wife.

The late evangelist’s younger sister, in a separate video circulating online, claimed that the couple had a history of repeated disagreements. She said the couple had visited her around April following an earlier altercation, which was eventually resolved at a police station. She recounted: “I have been hearing that they have been fighting for a while now. Around April, they came to my house. He explained everything about how he and his wife fought, and that it was at the police station they settled it. I only told them to be patient with each other because it is not right for a husband and wife to fight against each other. They had been fighting for a very long time, and people helped them settle it. And now we just heard that the husband and wife are dead.”

The wife was reportedly buried on the day of the incident, while Odukoya was buried on Wednesday, September 2. In separate footage seen by PUNCH Metro, some clerics were seen performing burial rites over the remains of the evangelist at an undisclosed location. The family of the deceased woman has reportedly approached the police, requesting the release of her remains for burial.

When contacted, the deputy spokesman for the Ogun State Police Command, Opeyemi Oluborode, confirmed the incident and said investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding both deaths. “The police is investigating the incident,” he added. The double tragedy has plunged the couple’s family, church members, and the surrounding community into mourning as authorities work to unravel what happened in the early hours of that fateful morning.

Ogun Pastor Dies in Crash Hours After Allegedly Killing Wife in Domestic Dispute

Reps Panel Traces 58 Bank Accounts, 12 Illegal Entities in PFIPC Fraud Network

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has uncovered 58 bank accounts and 12 illegal entities linked to its purported Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, in what investigators describe as an elaborate scheme involving forged State House correspondence and fictitious government officials.

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has uncovered 58 bank accounts and 12 illegal entities linked to its purported “Director-General,” Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi. The committee said the discovery was made through an elaborate scheme involving forged State House correspondence, fictitious government officials and the unauthorised occupation of Federal Secretariat premises. The House had on 8 July adopted a motion to probe how the PFIPC secured an allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act, after the Presidency disclaimed the agency, stating that it was never legally established. The probe has rapidly become one of the most significant governance scandals confronting the administration, raising difficult questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s public institutions, budget process and administrative safeguards.

In its preliminary findings released on Wednesday, the committee said the purported organisation appeared to have deployed fictitious names, offices and official designations in a bid to obtain recognition as a legitimate Federal Government institution. Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi disclosed the findings during a press briefing in Abuja, emphasising that the investigation had established that the PFIPC was not lawfully established. He noted that there is no valid Act of the National Assembly, Presidential Executive Order, gazetted enactment or any other lawful instrument establishing the agency. The preliminary report, however, did not establish how N1.3 billion was allocated to the PFIPC in the 2026 Federal Budget or identify the individuals who facilitated the allocation. The Budget Office of the Federation later clarified that despite the appropriation of N1.302 billion for the council in the 2026 budget, not a single kobo was released, as the statutory conditions required for expenditure were never met.

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At the centre of the controversy is a letter purportedly issued by the State House and signed by one Mr. Akambi Adewale, described as “Director, Administration and Support Services,” for the Permanent Secretary. But evidence obtained from the State House, according to the committee, established that the office cited in the letter did not exist in the stated form. The purported Directorate of Administration and Support Services was also said not to exist, while no State House officer known as Akambi Adewale served in that capacity. The committee therefore concluded that fictitious public officers and non-existent government directorates were deployed in a document “calculated to mislead an important financial institution of the Federal Government.” The Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, had earlier told the committee that a forged letter purportedly originating from the State House was used to secure official government recognition for the PFIPC. He disclosed that his office acted on what appeared to be a genuine State House correspondence requesting the creation of an administrative code for the council in November 2024, only for investigations to later reveal that the letter did not originate from the Presidency. The Office of the Accountant-General confirmed that its response to the purported State House request was authentic, although the originating request itself was allegedly forged. The office also acknowledged that the response ought not to have been released to Adeyemi or any other unauthorised person, but should have been transmitted through a properly authenticated official channel.

The committee disclosed that more than 30 of the 58 accounts were reportedly operated in the names of about nine agencies, companies, foundations or related entities, while some entities appeared to have multiple accounts. Other accounts, the panel said, were operated in personal or variant names. The entities identified by the committee include the Confederation of United Nations Youths, FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership, FCT Investment Promotion Council and Public-Private Partnership, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, United Nations Youth Global Agency, United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World Entrepreneurship University Limited, World Enterprise University Limited, the FCT Investment Promotion Act, the FCT Promotion Agency, and the Olubadan of Ibadan Foundation. The committee cautioned that it had not concluded that every identified account, entity or transaction was unlawful. It said it was reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information, signatories and transaction histories to determine the true ownership, control and nature of the accounts.

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In a parallel investigation, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered two additional fake government agencies allegedly linked to Adeyemi—the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership. ICPC Chairman Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu disclosed the development after presenting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Aliyu said investigators established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the PFIPC had no legal foundation, having neither been created by an Act of the National Assembly nor by an executive order. He revealed that the syndicate exploited weaknesses in verification procedures and coordination among government institutions to carry out impersonation, false representation and other illegal activities from the former PEAC office. The commission recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, disciplinary measures against public officials suspected of aiding the operation of the fake agencies, and reforms to strengthen internal controls across government institutions. The ICPC identified officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Information Technology Development Agency as collaborators in the alleged scheme. The commission said the investigation remains ongoing and could expose additional details before criminal charges are filed.

A significant aspect of the investigation involves an allegation that Adeyemi induced a businessman, Gbenga Collins, to pay approximately ₦400 million after purportedly offering his company a government contract to renovate and furnish an official residence. Collins told the committee that he paid the money in five instalments between May and July 2025. Four payments totalling ₦380 million were made into an account belonging to World Entrepreneurs Limited, while the final ₦20 million was paid into an Access Bank account belonging to Sunshine Confectionery and Catering Services. Collins said he believed Adeyemi was a legitimate government official because of his office at the Federal Secretariat, vehicles bearing government number plates and the people he encountered there.

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The committee also addressed the question of whether Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, signed Adeyemi’s purported appointment letter. The panel stated that documentary evidence before it does not establish that the Chief of Staff authorised, approved or participated in the activities of the purported organisation. The committee said the purported appointment letter was fabricated and falsely attributed to the Presidency. It described the conduct as “a grave assault on the integrity of the Office of the President.” Rather than finding evidence linking Gbajabiamila to the alleged scheme, the committee said documents before it showed that he had taken steps to trigger investigations into the organisation when concerns were brought to his attention, including communicating with the Nigeria Police Force, Office of the National Security Adviser, Department of State Services and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The committee consequently commended Gbajabiamila for what it described as timely security and administrative interventions.

The committee also uncovered a purported Presidential Executive Order No. 5, dated 24 February 2026, which was allegedly used to provide legal authority for the organisation. The lawmakers, however, said evidence before them indicated that the document was neither issued nor approved through lawful presidential processes. It described the alleged fabrication of a presidential instrument as an exceptionally serious matter capable of undermining the authority of the Nigerian state. The panel also examined a document presented as an Act of the National Assembly establishing the purported agency and found that it was never passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, assented to by the President or gazetted as an Act of the Federation. More seriously, the committee said portions of a document relating to another institution appeared to have been electronically altered, mutilated or substituted to create the impression that Parliament had established the PFIPC.

The Reps panel described the occupation of accommodation space within the Federal Secretariat complex as unauthorised, saying it enhanced the organisation’s ability to portray itself to members of the public and other government institutions as a legitimate Federal Government agency. It said it was investigating the identity and authority of the officers involved in the transfer or occupation of the premises. The investigation also found that the organisation obtained official-looking number plates for its vehicles. The Federal Road Safety Corps admitted that it issued seven official number plates to the purported council after relying on documents presented by the organisation. The registered vehicles included a 2024 bulletproof Lexus LX, two Toyota Land Cruiser sport utility vehicles and four Toyota Hilux vehicles, which received registration numbers PFIPC 01 to PFIPC 07.

The committee further found that approximately 39 persons had been paraded or represented as employees of the purported organisation across junior, intermediate and senior cadres. It said it was investigating their recruitment, appointment letters, identity cards, salaries and allowances, as well as allegations that money was collected from some persons as a condition for employment. The panel said it would distinguish between individuals who were themselves deceived and those who knowingly participated in, facilitated or benefited from the activities under investigation. The committee also expressed concern over the failure or refusal of some officials in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to honour its invitations or fully respond to requests for information. It said evidence suggested that a senior officer might have directed that invitations issued by the committee should not be honoured. The affected officials, however, would be given a final opportunity to respond before the committee makes definitive findings and recommendations.

Reps Panel Traces 58 Bank Accounts, 12 Illegal Entities in PFIPC Fraud Network