Fake Agency Scandal: ICPC Recommends Punishment for 13 Officials — See Full List

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recommended administrative sanctions against 13 public officials allegedly connected to the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The recommendation was contained in the commission’s interim investigation report on the organisation, which the ICPC said operated without any valid legal instrument establishing it as a Federal Government agency.

The report, submitted to President Bola Tinubu on August 6 and obtained by Premium Times, also recommended the prosecution of the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, over allegations of forgery, impersonation, false statements and criminal misrepresentation.

The investigation revealed how the purported agency allegedly gained access to government offices, financial institutions and administrative channels despite having no recognised legal basis.

Officials Recommended for Sanctions

Those recommended for administrative action include Mimi Abu, Director of the Organisation Design and Development Department, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Rosemary Achem, Special Adviser on Administration to the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation; and Patricia Akhigbe, an Assistant Director at the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

Others are Aminu Abdullahi, Schedule Officer in the Office Allocation Department of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Bello Abdullahi, Assistant Director, IPSAS, National Chart of Accounts, Consolidated Account Department, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation; Sanni Olubunmi, Director, Inspectorate Department, OAGF; and Jousha Kadiri Luka, Director, Consolidated Accounts Department, OAGF.

Also listed are Muazu Balami, Deputy Director, Risk and Review, Inspectorate Department, OAGF; Omameh Florence, Assistant Director, Inspectorate Department, OAGF; Akinlose Moses of the Inspectorate Department, OAGF; Ogaba Harry, Chief Accountant, OAGF; Esther Orji Okoli, Principal Executive Officer I, OAGF; and Ogunbade Habeebat Ajibola, Manager, Compliance and Regulation Department, National Information Technology Development Agency.

The ICPC also urged the affected institutions to implement reforms identified during the course of the investigation.

How the Alleged Fake Agency Gained Recognition

According to the ICPC, Adeyemi allegedly relied on documents presented as presidential or government instruments to obtain official recognition for the PFIPC.

The documents were reportedly used in attempts to secure government office accommodation, obtain self-accounting status and facilitate the opening of accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Several government institutions reportedly processed requests submitted by the organisation because they believed it was a legitimate government body.

However, the commission said Adeyemi had never been appointed by the Federal Government and that there was no law, executive order or other valid instrument establishing the PFIPC.

The ICPC therefore recommended his prosecution for forgery, impersonation, making false statements to public officers and criminal misrepresentation.

Adeyemi has already been charged alongside two other defendants in an eight-count case involving allegations of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.

He was arrested in July after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear for arraignment. Adeyemi has denied the allegations.

PFIPC’s Alleged Penetration of Government Structures

The investigation also uncovered the extent to which the purported organisation allegedly penetrated the Federal Government’s administrative and financial systems.

According to Premium Times, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) and CBN reported that they acted on requests originating from the organisation.

In one instance, the OAGF wrote to the CBN on July 29, 2025, requesting the opening of four domiciliary accounts for two purported ministries, departments and agencies, one of which was the PFIPC.

The CBN subsequently confirmed the opening of dollar and pound accounts for the organisation.

The alleged agency also secured office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja after approaching the OSGF in November 2024 to request office space and self-accounting status.

The ICPC maintained that the PFIPC had no valid legal framework backing its existence as a Federal Government institution.

Further Investigation Ordered

Beyond the recommended administrative sanctions, the ICPC called for further investigation into the roles of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance in the process through which the PFIPC allegedly obtained government recognition.

The commission also recommended inviting officials and individuals linked to other suspected fake MDAs, forged legislative Acts and Unity Bank accounts for questioning.

Those recommended for questioning include the managing director, chief compliance officer and relationship or account officers connected to Unity Bank accounts allegedly associated with the organisation.

Two OAGF officials, Adekunle Ajayi and Lovina Akabueze, were also listed for further questioning.

The ICPC further recommended an examination of all bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, as well as other sources of funds he allegedly obtained as loans.

ICPC Calls for Stronger Verification

The commission said the investigation exposed weaknesses in the procedures used by government institutions to authenticate official documents and verify the legal status of entities seeking access to public resources.

According to the findings, officials who dealt with the PFIPC largely relied on documents presented by the organisation instead of independently verifying whether it had been legally established.

The ICPC consequently called for stronger verification mechanisms and improved coordination among government agencies.

It stressed that only entities backed by valid legal instruments should be permitted to obtain government offices, financial facilities, public resources or other administrative privileges.

Presidency Denies Link to PFIPC

The Presidency has consistently denied any connection between the Federal Government and the purported agency.

President Tinubu had earlier ordered an investigation into the PFIPC following concerns over its activities.

The President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, described the organisation as fake and denied appointing Adeyemi to head any such agency.

The ICPC investigation also cleared Gbajabiamila of wrongdoing.

The probe into the PFIPC has subsequently widened to include other purported government agencies allegedly operating without proper authorisation.

During the investigation, the ICPC uncovered another suspected fake body, the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, which allegedly operated from the OSGF.

President Tinubu subsequently ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries and directed the arrest of the alleged promoter of the office, George Buchi Nwabueze.

ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, said investigators discovered that Nwabueze operated under several variations of his name, while some officials within the OSGF were suspected of collaborating with him.

The commission also alleged that forged legislative instruments were used to create an appearance of government legitimacy for the entities and facilitate the opening of bank accounts.