By Our Edo Correspondent

In a bid to flushout crimes in fhe state,Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo is seeking stronger collaboration with traditional rulers across Edo State’s 18 local government areas to tackle insecurity and other criminal activities.

Addressing traditional rulers from Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial Districts on a courtesy visit to Government House in Benin City on Thursday, Governor Okpebholo said traditional rulers remain critical stakeholders in the fight against crime because of their close relationship with their communities.

“There are so many security challenges, and the best people to help me fight insecurity are the traditional rulers. You know your communities because you know those who live there and those coming into the area,” he said.

The governor noted that several recent kidnapping cases involved local collaborators who were familiar with the movement and financial status of residents.

“Our people know those who are wealthy and those who are not. They know the movement of people within the community. If we must stop insecurity in Edo State, we must work together to achieve this purpose,” he said.

He urged traditional rulers not to encourage or shield criminal elements, stressing that young people should be discouraged from engaging in crime.

“Let nobody encourage crime. Our children should not be involved. They should understand that crime is dangerous. The President is not happy about the security situation in the country, and I am not happy as well,” he added.

The governor also appealed to the royal fathers to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the next presidential election, expressing confidence that Edo State could deliver substantial votes for the President.

Responding on behalf of the visiting monarchs, the Ojuromi of Uromi, HRM Anslem Edenojie II, passed a vote of confidence in the governor, describing his development efforts across the state as commendable.

The monarch assured Governor Okpebholo of the continued support and cooperation of traditional rulers in promoting peace, security and development across Edo State.

By George Mgbeleke

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday asked the Senate to approve the repeal of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and replace it with a new legal framework designed to tackle delays in criminal trials, strengthen justice sector institutions and modernise Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

The executive bill was conveyed in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during Thursday’s plenary.

In his communication on the criminal justice reform, Tinubu said the proposed Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, 2026, would repeal and replace the existing ACJA 2015 to address persistent legal, procedural and institutional shortcomings that have undermined effective justice delivery.

He explained that the proposed legislation would improve the administration of criminal justice in the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts, while strengthening the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council to ensure effective implementation of the law.

According to the President, the new legal framework is intended to promote efficient management of criminal justice institutions, accelerate the dispensation of justice, strengthen the protection of society from crime and safeguard the constitutional rights of suspects, defendants, victims and witnesses.

Tinubu said the bill would also ensure full compliance by courts, law enforcement agencies and other institutions involved in criminal justice administration.

He identified chronic delays in criminal investigations and prosecutions, poor case-file management, inadequate deployment of technology in criminal proceedings, weak coordination among justice sector agencies, ineffective case management systems and poor monitoring of compliance with the existing law as major challenges necessitating the repeal of the 2015 Act.

The President noted that the draft legislation was prepared by experienced law officers with expertise in criminal law, criminal procedure and legislative drafting, adding that it incorporated recent judicial pronouncements, technological innovations and international best practices.

He added that the proposed law would strengthen the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council through enhanced monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure effective implementation by relevant institutions.

Following the presentation of the communication, the Senate referred the bill to its Committee on Rules and Business with a directive to report back within four weeks.

By George Mgbeleķe

Disturbed by the long silence of National Assmbly over the huge allocation to an illegal Agency, Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu has urged the Senate to launch an independent investigation into how the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, an entity publicly disowned by the Presidency as “fake” and “fictitious”, was allocated N1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Moving a motion on the floor o Senate on Tuesday under Order 9 and Rule 9(c) of the Senate Standing Orders, Senator Kawu, representing Kano South, described the development as a “matter of grave institutional concern” that threatens the integrity of the National Assembly and the credibility of the budget process.

Sen. Kawu told the chamber that despite the Executive publicly disavowing PFIPC and directing law enforcement to arrest its “self-acclaimed officials” for alleged forgery and impersonation, the entity was still captured in the 2026 budget under Code 0111062001.

According to him, the allocation totals *N1,302,978,784*, broken down into *N802,978,784 for personnel costs, N200,000,000 for overhead, and N300,000,000 for capital expenditure*.

“Although sections of the media described the matter as a ‘N2 Billion scandal,’ the verifiable appropriation stands at over N1.3 Billion Naira for an entity now officially claimed by the Government to be non-existent,” Kawu said.

He expressed concern that the inclusion undermines public confidence, exposes weaknesses in budgetary scrutiny, and subjects the Federal Government to “avoidable domestic and international criticism” over transparency and fiscal governance.

In response to his motion Senate resloved as follows:
1. *Condemn* the administrative lapses or fraudulent schemes that allowed PFIPC into the budget.
2. *Direct* the Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct & Public Petitions and Appropriations to investigate:
a. How the N1.3bn was proposed, scrutinized and approved;
b. The MDAs and officials responsible for facilitating PFIPC’s inclusion;
c. Whether any funds have been released or any bank account operated under the budget line.

Fielding questions from journalists Sen. Kawu clarified that his focus was not on whether the President can create an agency, but on “who legalized the inclusion or who facilitated the inclusion of that agency in the national budget,” which he said is the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly.

“Any inclusion, any overhead, it is executive proposal. But the constitution too allowed us to compose a budget. We can add. We can subtract. Therefore, if that agency is new and did not emanate from the budget office of the President, then who is responsible in the National Assembly?” he queried.

He noted that while President Bola Tinubu has constituted a committee to investigate the PFIPC saga, the legislature must also “do its own” to safeguard the integrity of the appropriation process.

The motion sparked debate on procedure, with some lawmakers referencing Order 9(9c) on matters of privilege and national importance. Sen. Kawu insisted he invoked privilege because “it has power” and “nobody can stop you.”

He added that most senators are “in support of my position” that the National Assembly cannot “keep quiet” while its name is linked to the controversy.

On whether any money had been released to PFIPC. Sen. Kawu said that was part of what the proposed investigation must determine. “Budget is the most important aspect of this issue. If there is no budget, they can easily go with it. But there is budget. Therefore, they must tell us from where it comes.”