By Ahmed Yusuf | National News
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered two additional fake government agencies linked to Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, the man accused of posing as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Aliyu, investigators established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the PFIPC had no legal status, as it was neither established by an Act of the National Assembly nor through an executive order.
He said the probe revealed that the appointment letter used by Adeyemi was forged and that the fake council unlawfully occupied offices and used official materials belonging to the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
The ICPC chairman said the group allegedly operated from the former PEAC office, carrying out impersonation, false representation and other unlawful activities by exploiting weaknesses in government verification and coordination systems.
Aliyu further disclosed that investigators identified two additional fictitious agencies—the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency—which were allegedly created using forged legislative documents.
According to him, the fake agencies were used to open bank accounts and facilitate illegal financial activities.
He also revealed that Adeyemi later changed the name of the organisation from the Foreign Investment Promotion Council to the Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in an attempt to expand its operations to include revenue generation.
Aliyu stressed that no government funds were approved or released to the fake PFIPC or the defunct PEAC, adding that investigators found no weaknesses in the systems of either the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The commission has recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, disciplinary action against public officials suspected of aiding the operation, and reforms to strengthen internal controls across government institutions.
The interim report also identified officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, 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 (NITDA) as alleged collaborators in the scheme.
Aliyu said investigations remain ongoing and that additional evidence is being gathered to support criminal charges against Adeyemi and others implicated in the case.
He added that President Tinubu had been briefed on the findings and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and the prosecution of those responsible.
The ICPC began investigating the alleged fraud following questions over the existence and operations of the PFIPC, which allegedly presented itself as a legitimate federal agency despite having no legal foundation.
