Fake Agency with $944,300 Budget Allocation Prompts Tinubu to Order ICPC Probe
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate a non-existent government agency that was allocated 1.3 billion naira ($944,300) in Nigeria's national budget. The agency, named the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, has no legal recognition but reportedly operated from offices inside the federal secretariat in Abuja, where real ministries are based. The ICPC has been given 30 days to submit findings on how the entity gained inclusion in official budget documents and whether forged appointment letters were used to secure legitimacy. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga labeled Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the individual claiming to lead the agency, a "con artist" with a history of impersonation. Onanuga confirmed that no public funds were disbursed to the fake body. Reports indicate Adeyemi allegedly used a fraudulent presidential appointment to obtain official privileges, including visa processing support. He also opened multiple bank accounts under the agency's name. Local media cited claims that Adeyemi received an appointment letter from Femi Gbajabiamila, Tinubu's chief of staff, a claim Gbajabiamila has publicly denied, stating he has never met or communicated with Adeyemi. The case has intensified scrutiny on budget oversight mechanisms within the federal government. Adeyemi is scheduled to appear in court on July 27 to face charges of document forgery, impersonation, and illegal establishment of a government agency.
A phantom agency securing budget space and office premises exposes critical gaps in federal verification systems. The fact that no money was paid out does not erase the failure to detect a fake entity operating at the core of government. If appointment letters can be forged and bank accounts opened without red flags, the risk of financial breach remains high. The ICPC's findings must reveal which officials enabled this breach, not just the man in the dock.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
