The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered two more fake government agencies allegedly linked to the activities of the self-proclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi.
The anti-corruption agency also recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi and administrative sanctions against public officials who allegedly assisted the illegal operation.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed the findings on Thursday after presenting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The development is the latest twist in the investigation into the activities of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which the commission said was never created by the Federal Government.
According to Aliyu, the investigation established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the government and that the appointment letter he presented was forged.
He said the commission also found that the PFIPC had no legal basis because it was not created by an Act of the National Assembly, executive order or any other valid government instrument.
“Our investigation confirmed that the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi was forged, while the PFIPC was never legally established by the Federal Government,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC chairman explained that the fake council went as far as taking over offices and facilities previously occupied by the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The facilities, he said, were then used to carry out activities which included false representation and impersonation.
The investigation has now revealed that the PFIPC was not the only questionable agency linked to the case.
Aliyu said investigators uncovered two other organisations described as fake agencies — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency.
He said the agencies were created with forged legislative documents and were allegedly used to open bank accounts for activities that had no government approval.
The discovery has raised fresh concerns about how individuals and organisations can create the appearance of official government institutions by using forged documents, government facilities and official-sounding names.
The ICPC chairman said the investigation also showed that Adeyemi initially operated under the name Foreign Investment Promotion Council before changing it to the Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
According to him, Adeyemi also attempted to expand the activities of the fake agency to include revenue generation.
“Our investigation showed that Adeyemi changed the name of the fake agency from the Foreign Investment Promotion Council to the Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and also tried to expand its activities to include revenue generation,” Aliyu said.
The commission, however, said it found no evidence that public funds were approved or released to the fake agency.
This, Aliyu said, meant that the investigation had not established that government money was directly paid to the PFIPC.
He also dismissed concerns that the activities of the fake agency were made possible by security failures at the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria.
According to him, the commission found no evidence of security lapses within the State House or the CBN that enabled the organisation to operate.
Despite this, the investigation identified individuals suspected of having played various roles in facilitating the activities of the fake agencies.
Aliyu disclosed that collaborators were identified in 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 and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
He said the ICPC had recommended administrative sanctions for public officers found to have assisted the illegal operation.
The commission also recommended that Adeyemi be prosecuted for offences arising from the investigation.
However, the ICPC chairman stressed that the report presented to Tinubu was only an interim report.
He said investigations were still ongoing and that the commission was working to uncover further details before preparing criminal charges against Adeyemi and other persons found to have collaborated with him.
The latest findings are expected to widen the scope of the investigation as the commission seeks to establish how the fake agencies were able to operate and gain access to government facilities and processes.
The investigation also raises questions about the internal checks used by government institutions to verify appointments, official agencies and documents presented by individuals claiming to represent the Federal Government.
Government agencies are normally established through specific legal or executive processes, while appointments into senior public positions are expected to be backed by official documentation and authorisation.
The ICPC’s findings suggest that the PFIPC allegedly presented itself as a legitimate government institution despite lacking the legal foundation required for such an organisation.
The alleged use of forged legislative documents to establish the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Foreign Investment Promotion Agency further highlights the seriousness of the case.
The commission is now expected to continue tracing the activities of the organisations, their financial transactions and the individuals who may have helped them operate.
Aliyu said the recommendations contained in the interim report were aimed not only at dealing with those allegedly involved but also at preventing similar incidents in the future.
The ICPC has therefore recommended reforms to strengthen internal controls across government institutions.
Such reforms are expected to improve the verification of government appointments, official documents and agencies and make it more difficult for individuals to impersonate public institutions.
The case has also renewed concerns about the misuse of government names and offices by individuals seeking to gain credibility or access to official processes.
For the government, the investigation comes at a time when public institutions are under pressure to improve transparency and accountability in the management of public resources and official business.
Although the ICPC said it found no evidence that government funds were released to the PFIPC, the alleged use of government facilities and the involvement of public officers remain central issues in the investigation.
The commission said the President had taken note of the findings presented to him.
According to Aliyu, Tinubu also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
The ICPC is expected to continue the investigation before making a final report and, where necessary, filing criminal charges against Adeyemi and other suspects.
Until the investigation is concluded and the courts determine otherwise, the allegations against the individuals involved remain subject to due process.
The commission’s latest findings, however, have expanded the PFIPC case from the activities of one alleged fake agency to a wider network of organisations and public officers suspected of helping an unauthorised operation gain access to government structures.