Abdullahi Sarki
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered two additional fake government agencies allegedly created and operated by Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), deepening investigations into what authorities describe as a sophisticated impersonation scheme.
ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the development on Thursday after presenting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Aliyu said preliminary findings showed that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council had no legal existence, having neither been established through legislation nor created by any executive order.
According to the commission, the appointment letter allegedly used by Adeyemi to assume office was forged, while the fake PFIPC unlawfully occupied facilities and used official instruments belonging to the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
The ICPC said the illegal organisation operated from the former PEAC office, where it allegedly engaged in false representation, impersonation and other unlawful activities by exploiting weaknesses in institutional verification processes and inter-agency coordination.
The anti-corruption agency further revealed that investigators uncovered two more fictitious government bodies allegedly linked to the same operation—the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (PIFA) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA).
“These agencies were created using forged legislative instruments and were used to open bank accounts for illegal activities,” he said.
Aliyu explained that the suspect later altered the name of the organisation from the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in what investigators believe was an attempt to broaden its scope to include revenue generation activities.
He, however, dismissed suggestions that public funds were diverted through the operation, maintaining that investigators found no evidence that money was released to the fake agency.
He said: “The investigation found no funds were approved or disbursed for the fake PFIPC/PEAC, and there were no weaknesses in the State House or CBN system.”
The ICPC Chairman disclosed that the investigative committee, inaugurated with a 30-day mandate to unravel the circumstances surrounding the fake agency, has recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi and other identified collaborators. The committee also proposed administrative sanctions against public officers who allegedly facilitated the operation, alongside institutional reforms aimed at strengthening internal controls and preventing similar incidents.
According to the commission, officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Budget Office and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have been identified as alleged collaborators in the ongoing investigation.
“The report is interim and the investigation continues to uncover more details to file criminal charges against Adeyemi and his collaborators,” he said.
Aliyu added that President Bola Tinubu has been fully briefed on the interim findings and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and ensuring that all those found culpable face the full weight of the law.
