ICPC uncovers two more fake agencies in PFIPC investigation
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered two additional fake government agencies allegedly linked to Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), as its investigation into the alleged fraud expands.
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 in Abuja.
According to Aliyu, investigations confirmed that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the PFIPC had no legal status, having neither been established by an Act of the National Assembly nor through an executive order.
The commission found 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).
Aliyu said the group operated from the former PEAC office, allegedly engaging in impersonation, false representation and other fraudulent activities by exploiting weaknesses in government verification and coordination systems.
Further investigations also uncovered two other non-existent agencies — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency.
The ICPC chairman revealed that Adeyemi later changed the organisation’s name from the Foreign Investment Promotion Council to the Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in a bid to widen its activities to include revenue generation.
Based on its findings, the commission recommended Adeyemi’s prosecution, disciplinary action against public officials suspected of aiding the operation, and institutional reforms to strengthen internal controls across government agencies.
The interim report also identified officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), 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 noted that investigations are still ongoing and said President Tinubu has been fully briefed on the findings, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and the prosecution of those found culpable.