The Senate on Thursday approved a total of ₦403.1 billion for the Nigerian Police Trust Fund for the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years in a move aimed at strengthening policing and supporting the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and other security threats across the country.

The approval comes as Nigerians continue to grapple with rising cases of violent crimes, with many citizens calling for stronger security measures and better-equipped law enforcement agencies.

The upper chamber approved ₦170.1 billion for the Police Trust Fund’s 2025 budget and ₦233 billion for the 2026 fiscal year.

The approved 2026 appropriation covers personnel costs, capital projects and overhead expenditures designed to enhance the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force.

Lawmakers expressed optimism that the funding would improve the provision of critical equipment, operational infrastructure, training and other resources required to strengthen security operations and improve the country’s response to terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality.

The intervention is expected to boost the operational effectiveness of police personnel, who have repeatedly faced challenges ranging from inadequate equipment to poor logistics while combating insecurity.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a bill to the Senate seeking a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s criminal justice system through the repeal and reenactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The proposed legislation seeks to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and replace it with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s criminal justice framework and improve the administration of justice.

One of the major innovations contained in the bill is the establishment of a Criminal Justice Monitoring Council, which will oversee the implementation of the law in courts within the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts across the country.

In a letter read during plenary, Tinubu said the proposed legislation was intended to address procedural gaps and long-standing challenges that had slowed the dispensation of justice in Nigeria.

According to the President, the bill will also align Nigeria’s criminal justice system with modern realities by promoting the deployment of technology, introducing innovative legal processes and enhancing the effective implementation of the law by relevant institutions.

The proposed legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative consideration before its eventual passage.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District in the 2027 general election and member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has donated ₦20 million to victims of the recent fire outbreak at the Bode Traditional Herbs and Other Products Market, popularly known as Iso Alagbo, in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State, while assuring the affected traders of additional intervention from the Federal Government.

‎Oseni made the donation during a sympathy visit to the market on Monday, where he met traders whose shops, traditional herbs, medicinal products and other valuables were destroyed by the devastating inferno. His message of hope and support was contained in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan.

The federal lawmaker said he visited the scene to personally identify with the victims, describing the incident as a painful tragedy that had wiped out years of hard work and investments, leaving many families devastated and uncertain about their future.

‎”Today, I visited the Bode Traditional Herbs and Other Products Market, popularly known as Iso Alagbo, to personally identify with our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who suffered devastating losses in the recent fire incident. Walking through the ruins and listening to the heartbreaking stories of the affected traders was deeply emotional,” Oseni said.

‎According to him, many of the traders watched helplessly as years of sacrifice and labour went up in flames, noting that what the victims lost extended far beyond goods and property.

‎”For many families, what was destroyed was not just merchandise but their means of livelihood and hope for a better tomorrow. I could see the pain in their eyes and hear the despair in their voices. This is a tragedy that calls for compassion and collective support,” he added.

The chairman , House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) stressed that leadership must be measured not only by words of sympathy but by practical actions capable of restoring hope to people in times of adversity.

‎”In moments like this, leadership must go beyond words of sympathy. It must be demonstrated through compassion, presence and meaningful support. That is why I have come not only to sympathise with the victims but also to stand with them through tangible assistance,” he said.

‎To cushion the immediate hardship occasioned by the disaster, the APC senatorial candidate  donated ₦20 million to the affected traders, acknowledging that while no amount of money could adequately compensate for the huge losses suffered, the intervention was intended to provide immediate relief and help many victims begin the difficult process of rebuilding their businesses.

‎The lawmaker also assured the victims that he would engage relevant authorities at the federal level to facilitate additional intervention for those affected, saying every available avenue would be explored to ensure the traders receive the support needed to recover from the unfortunate incident.

‎”We will continue to engage the appropriate authorities at the federal level to seek additional intervention and support for those affected. We will explore every available avenue to ensure our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters are not left alone to bear this burden. Together, we will overcome this challenge,” Oseni assured.

‎He commended the resilience of the affected traders despite the painful losses and prayed for divine restoration for every victim.

 “To every trader affected by this unfortunate incident, please know that you are not alone. Your resilience inspires us. I pray that Almighty God grants everyone the strength to recover, restores every loss and continues to protect our communities from tragedies of this nature. By His grace, hope will rise again, businesses will flourish again and brighter days will surely return,” he said.

The Presidency on Friday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force to identify and prosecute officials who allegedly collaborated with Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew in operating the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, a body it described as non-existent.

It also accused the suspect of attempting to drag the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, into what it described as a criminal enterprise through a sustained smear campaign.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, disclosed this in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Friday.

According to Ajayi, investigations must go beyond Adeniyi to uncover those within government institutions who allegedly facilitated his activities.

He said, “What is not in doubt is that internal collaborators enabled Adeniyi to get this far. That is precisely what investigators from the DSS, the Police and the EFCC must now unravel.

“The criminal network within the affected institutions must be dismantled, and everyone found to have played a role should be arrested and prosecuted.”

The presidential spokesman described Adeniyi as “an irredeemable con artist,” accusing him of exploiting public perception about corruption to divert attention from the allegations against him.

He said, “In Nigeria, the easiest and most believable allegation anyone can throw at a public officer is corruption. Once that accusation is thrown into the mix, the water is polluted, the lines are blurred, and everyone is kept busy arguing over distractions rather than the real issues.

“Matthew Adeniyi understands Nigerian public psychology, and he is exploiting it expertly to shield himself. He is an irredeemable con artist who is attempting to drag the name of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, into his criminal enterprise. The Chief of Staff is simply his last straw.”

Ajayi further alleged that investigators must establish how Adeniyi allegedly forged presidential appointment letters, operated 34 bank accounts in the names of fictitious government agencies, hosted foreign ambassadors and opened a Central Bank account while allegedly parading himself as the Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

He maintained that exposing those who aided the suspect was crucial to dismantling what he described as a criminal network operating within public institutions.

As of the time of filing this report, Adeniyi had yet to publicly respond to the latest allegations by the Presidency.