Residents of Girei and Song Local Government Areas of Adamawa State on Tuesday staged a protest at the headquarters of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) in Yola, shutting down the facility over a prolonged power outage that has persisted for more than two months.

The demonstrators blocked all entrances to the company’s headquarters, preventing staff and customers from gaining access and bringing activities at the office to a halt.

Waving placards and singing solidarity songs, the protesters accused YEDC of repeatedly failing to honour its promises to restore electricity despite holding several meetings with community leaders and other stakeholders.

They insisted that the protest would continue until electricity is restored to their communities.

According to the residents, the extended blackout has severely affected businesses, disrupted healthcare services, hindered students’ learning, and created hardship for artisans and many others who rely on electricity for their daily means of livelihood.

They also expressed disappointment over what they described as YEDC’s continued inability to provide stable electricity, calling on the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Adamawa State Government, and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene.

The protesters further urged regulators to revoke YEDC’s electricity distribution licence if the company fails to fulfil its obligations to consumers.

As of the time of filing this report, YEDC had not released an official statement regarding the protest. However, security personnel were deployed to the company’s headquarters to maintain law and order as the demonstration continued.

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the activities of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has directed the Inspector-General of Police(IGP), Olatunji Disu, to produce the self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed agency, Adeniyi Adeyemi, before the committee.

The committee instructed the IGP to ensure Adeyemi appears before lawmakers on July 29, 2026, at 12 noon, as its investigation into the controversial council continues.

The directive was issued on Monday during the committee’s ongoing probe, where the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, also disclosed that his office rejected a request by the PFIPC to open a Treasury Single Account (TSA), stating that the agency failed to meet the required due diligence process.

Appearing before the committee, Ogunjimi explained that although the council applied for a TSA account, the request was declined because it did not satisfy the necessary verification and compliance requirements.

The PFIPC controversy erupted after its self-proclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, alleged during a press conference that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, demanded 48 per cent of the council’s proposed ₦27.3 billion take-off grant.

Adeyemi further alleged that the Chief of Staff received ₦400 million through a proxy and later requested an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.

Gbajabiamila has strongly denied the allegations in a sworn statement, insisting that he has never had any personal, official or professional relationship with Adeyemi.

He also rejected claims that he demanded or received any money, abused his office, or interfered with law enforcement agencies.

The Chief of Staff equally denied any involvement in the alleged death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom Adeyemi claimed acted as an intermediary, as well as allegations linking him to an alleged assassination attempt on the defendant or interference with investigations by security agencies.

Following the allegations, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter.

Two weeks ago, Gbajabiamila filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

In the suit, he is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of litigation, and a court order compelling Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the alleged defamatory statements were published.

In response to the controversy, the House of Representatives constituted a 12-member ad hoc committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the disputed agency and the process through which it was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The panel is also examining the alleged allocation of ₦1.3 billion to the PFIPC in the 2026 budget.

Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi assured Nigerians that the investigation would be comprehensive, transparent and impartial.

Last week, the ICPC confirmed that it had questioned Gbajabiamila over the PFIPC allegations.

The committee has also heard from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Esther Walson-Jack, and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu.

During her appearance, Walson-Jack stated that her office neither allocated office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja to the PFIPC nor deployed any civil servants to the council.

“The request for deployment of officers was received and noted for consideration. However, there was no deployment of officers by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to the council,” she said.

She further clarified that while there had been speculation that the council occupied office space within the Federal Secretariat Phase Three, her office “did not allocate any office space to the PFIPC.”

Also addressing the committee, Budget Office Director-General Tanimu Yakubu maintained that no public funds appropriated for the disputed agency were ever spent.

Yakubu explained that although the National Assembly approved budgetary allocations for the council, the legal and administrative requirements necessary for the release and utilisation of the funds were never fulfilled.

“The conclusion is firm. Not one kobo of the personnel provision could lawfully have been drawn, and not one kobo was drawn. The overhead provision never matured into a lawful cash release,” Yakubu stated.

“The capital provision never matured into procurement or expenditure. The conditions required for spending were not met and were not close to being met. There is therefore no personnel expenditure to recover. The money never moved because the controls held.”

A three-storey student hostel in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, collapsed late on Sunday, prompting a large-scale rescue operation that has so far resulted in the rescue of three students. Emergency responders are still searching for other occupants who may be trapped beneath the rubble.

The building, identified as Elite Five Star Lodge, is located in the Amokpala area near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko. The structure reportedly collapsed on Sunday night, causing panic among students and residents.

Security operatives, firefighters, officials of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and other emergency response teams quickly arrived at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts.

As of Monday afternoon, three students had been rescued alive from the debris and taken to St. Michael Hospital, Oko, where they are receiving treatment.

Residents said they were alerted after hearing a loud sound before rushing to the scene. Rescue teams have continued searching through the rubble amid concerns that more people could still be trapped.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a police-led joint security team responded immediately after receiving a distress call. He explained that officers secured the area and worked alongside emergency agencies to rescue those affected.

Ikenga added that the Anambra State Fire Service and SEMA joined the operation, noting that efforts are ongoing to safely reach anyone still trapped beneath the collapsed building.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the total number of people inside the hostel at the time of the collapse or whether any fatalities have been recorded, as rescue operations continue.

Officials also disclosed that an investigation has begun to determine the cause of the collapse. They urged members of the public to stay away from the area and refrain from spreading unverified information while emergency responders continue their work.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the Federal Government over the latest killings in Southern Kaduna, saying the attack reflects what he described as the inability of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to guarantee the safety of Nigerians.

Reacting to reports that dozens of residents were killed in renewed attacks on communities in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Atiku said the tragedy further highlights the country’s deepening security challenges.

He argued that no administration can be considered successful while innocent citizens continue to lose their lives to armed attacks in their homes and communities.

“The reported killing of scores of innocent Nigerians in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State is heartbreaking and unacceptable. Every life lost is a painful indictment of a government that has repeatedly promised security but continues to preside over an expanding landscape of bloodshed,” he said.

Atiku also criticised the Tinubu administration, accusing it of focusing on what he described as an unverified letter of commendation from the United States instead of addressing Nigeria’s growing insecurity.

“It is deeply troubling that while Nigerians mourn yet another massacre, senior officials of this administration have been busy criss-crossing television studios and social media platforms brandishing what they describe as an unverified claim of a letter of commendation from the United States Government,” Atiku stated.

According to the former vice president, Nigerians are more concerned about their safety and security than international recognition.

“The people of Southern Kaduna—and indeed all Nigerians—do not need letters of praise from foreign capitals. They need security. They need to sleep without fear, travel without anxiety, cultivate their farms in peace and raise their children without the constant threat of terrorists, bandits and other violent criminals.”

He stressed that the true measure of any government lies in its ability to protect lives and property.

“Governance is not a public relations exercise. It is measured by the safety of the people and by a government’s ability to protect its citizens from harm. Until that constitutional obligation is fulfilled, every celebration of external praise rings hollow.”

Atiku called on the Federal Government to urgently review and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, insisting that routine condemnations after attacks are no longer sufficient. He urged authorities to prioritise intelligence-driven operations, ensure the swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible for violent crimes, and adopt proactive strategies to prevent future attacks on vulnerable communities.

He also extended his condolences to the families of the victims and urged security agencies to remain vigilant as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections begin to intensify.

“It is my sincere hope that this horrific massacre was not politically motivated. However, as the nation gradually approaches another political season, the security agencies must not only identify, apprehend and prosecute those responsible for this heinous crime, but must also take anticipatory and pre-emptive measures to strengthen security around vulnerable communities that could become targets of similar attacks,” he added.