The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered details of how several federal civil servants allegedly assisted the now-disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) in obtaining government approvals, securing office accommodation and gaining access to official financial systems despite questions surrounding the organisation’s legal status.
The revelations are contained in an interim investigation report prepared by the anti-corruption agency following a directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the Presidency publicly disowned the PFIPC and its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
According to the investigation, the alleged scheme was not sustained by questionable documents alone. It also benefited from the actions of officials in different government institutions who processed requests, facilitated administrative approvals and treated the organisation as a legitimate government entity.
The findings have raised concerns about weaknesses in the verification procedures within Nigeria’s federal civil service and the safeguards surrounding access to government financial and administrative platforms.
How the Alleged Fake Agency Sought Government Recognition
The ICPC investigation established that Adeyemi began seeking formal recognition for the PFIPC within government structures in November 2024.
He reportedly approached the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), seeking an administrative code, self-accounting status and approval to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
To support the request, Adeyemi presented documents purportedly showing that the organisation had been formally established by the Federal Government.
Among the documents were an appointment letter, an establishment instrument and correspondence on State House letterhead allegedly signed by an individual identified as Akanbi Adewale.
Investigators subsequently determined that Akanbi Adewale did not exist. Forensic examination also indicated that the letter attributed to him had actually been signed by Adeyemi.
Despite these irregularities, the documents were used in the process through which the purported organisation sought recognition within government structures.
OAGF Granted Self-Accounting Status
One of the most significant developments occurred on 27 May 2025, when the OAGF granted the PFIPC self-accounting status and assigned it administrative code 0111062001.
The approval also included arrangements relating to establishment and recruitment waivers.
The ICPC said these approvals gave the purported agency access to important government structures and enabled it to be recognised within the 2026 federal budget framework.
The OAGF subsequently created a Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform and a Sub-Treasury Account for the organisation.
The office also acted on a request from the PFIPC by issuing a mandate to the CBN for the creation of two domiciliary accounts.
The CBN later informed the House of Representatives that the accounts were never activated because the purported agency failed to provide authorised signatories.
The development nevertheless demonstrated how far the organisation had penetrated official government systems before questions about its legitimacy became widely known.
Three Civil Servants Allegedly Facilitated Recruitment Approval
The ICPC also investigated the roles of three civil servants in the process through which the PFIPC obtained an authorised establishment and recruitment waiver.
They were identified as Rose Achem, a senior administrative officer to the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation; Patricia Akhigbe, an assistant director in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning; and Mimi Abu, Director of Organisation Design and Development at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
According to the investigation, Achem introduced Akhigbe to Abu as the head of human resources of the PFIPC, although Akhigbe was an assistant director in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
The ICPC said the introduction was made to assist the purported council in securing authorised establishment and recruitment waiver approvals.
Investigators concluded that Achem, Akhigbe and Abu subsequently facilitated the process through the OHCSF.
The investigation further alleged that Adeyemi paid Akhigbe N500,000 during Easter in 2025, with the payment described as a “thank you for your support.”
The ICPC said the authorised establishment was granted on the same day the three officials met.
More significantly, investigators reportedly found no evidence that the PFIPC had formally submitted an application for authorised establishment and recruitment waiver through the required procedure.
Instead, the officials allegedly proceeded with the approval process outside the established administrative framework.
When investigators requested the relevant file from the OHCSF, the office reportedly stated that the file could not be found.
Questions Over Forged Documents
The ICPC also examined Abu’s involvement because her department has responsibility for authorised establishment, manpower requirements and recruitment waivers for federal government organisations.
Investigators said representatives of the PFIPC presented what were later described as forged establishment instruments and an allegedly forged appointment letter for Adeyemi.
Abu reportedly described the appointment letter, said to have been issued by the Chief of Staff to the President, as an “aberration.”
She was quoted in the investigation as saying she could not recall another government organisation presenting an appointment letter signed by the Chief of Staff.
When the PFIPC was reportedly unable to upload the necessary documentation through the OHCSF portal, physical copies of the disputed documents were submitted instead.
The investigation also examined a PFIPC request dated 9 May 2025 seeking the deployment of government personnel.
According to the ICPC, the OHCSF neither approved nor implemented the requested deployment.
Evidence obtained from the Enterprise Content Management System reportedly showed that no officers were deployed to the PFIPC by the OHCSF.
How the Organisation Secured Office Space at the Federal Secretariat
Another major aspect of the investigation concerns how the PFIPC obtained office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
The ICPC examined the role of Aminu Abdullahi, an official involved in coordinating office allocation within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The investigation said Abdullahi was introduced to Adeyemi in March 2025 by Ibrahim Abdulkadir, a deputy director in General Services.
The introduction was allegedly intended to help Adeyemi navigate the process of obtaining office accommodation after an earlier request made on behalf of the PFIPC to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not yield the expected outcome.
According to the ICPC report, Abdullahi allocated offices previously occupied by former Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Doyin Salami, at the Federal Secretariat Phase III for temporary use by the PFIPC.
The allocation was reportedly made without written approval.
The investigation further alleged that only two keys to the allocated offices were available. Abdullahi allegedly broke the locks on other doors to provide Adeyemi with access to additional office spaces.
The development allowed the purported agency to establish a physical presence inside one of the country’s most important government administrative complexes.
ICPC Traces N3.25 Million to Office Allocation Official
Financial records examined by investigators reportedly raised further questions about the relationship between Adeyemi and the official involved in the office allocation.
According to the ICPC, an analysis of Abdullahi’s bank statement showed that he received N3.25 million from Adeyemi in three separate transactions between March and November 2025.
The financial transactions form part of the evidence examined by investigators in determining whether officials provided assistance to the purported agency in exchange for financial benefits.
The findings are particularly significant because the alleged payments occurred during the period when the PFIPC was seeking to establish itself within federal government structures.
How the PFIPC Gained Access to Government Financial Systems
The investigation provides an indication of how the organisation moved from one government institution to another after receiving administrative recognition from some offices.
The self-accounting status granted by the OAGF became particularly important because it allowed the purported agency to operate within government financial reporting structures.
The ICPC described the status as a significant document in the organisation’s subsequent dealings with other government institutions.
Once the organisation had received an administrative code and other approvals, correspondence from the PFIPC was reportedly treated by various government institutions as though it represented a legitimate federal government body.
This created a chain reaction in which one administrative approval helped strengthen the credibility of the organisation when dealing with another government institution.
PFIPC Was Listed in the 2026 Budget
The alleged penetration of government systems eventually extended to the federal budget.
The purported agency was listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of approximately N1.3 billion.
The development became one of the most controversial aspects of the case because it suggested that an organisation whose legal status was later disputed had been incorporated into the government’s budgetary framework.
Adeyemi subsequently denied preparing the budget.
The inclusion of the organisation in the budget nevertheless became a major issue in the wider investigation into how it was able to obtain recognition from government institutions.
Discovery of Another Suspected Fake Government Agency
The investigation into the PFIPC also reportedly led the ICPC to uncover another suspected fake government entity known as the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office.
The organisation allegedly operated within the OSGF.
Following the discovery, President Tinubu ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries and the arrest of the alleged promoter of the organisation, George Buchi Nwabueze.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, said investigators found that Nwabueze operated under different variations of his name and that suspected collaborators within the OSGF were also identified.
According to the commission, forged legislative instruments were allegedly used to create an appearance of government legitimacy around the entities and facilitate the opening of bank accounts in their names.
The emergence of another suspected fake agency has widened concerns about the ability of individuals to exploit weaknesses within government administrative structures.
ICPC Identifies Weaknesses in Civil Service Verification
Beyond the conduct of individual officials, the ICPC investigation identified institutional weaknesses that allegedly enabled the PFIPC to operate for an extended period.
The commission found weaknesses in existing procedures for verifying the legal status and supporting documentation of newly established government organisations.
According to the investigation, the standard operating procedure of the OHCSF did not sufficiently require newly established federal institutions to submit and authenticate relevant establishment documents.
The commission also identified inadequate mechanisms for independently verifying documents presented by organisations seeking recognition.
These weaknesses, according to the findings, created an environment in which questionable documents could be presented to government officials and subsequently relied upon in processing official requests.
ICPC Recommends Administrative Action
Based on its findings, the ICPC recommended administrative action against Mimi Abu, Rose Achem, Patricia Akhigbe and Aminu Abdullahi over their alleged roles in the PFIPC matter.
The recommendations form part of the commission’s wider investigation into the circumstances under which the purported agency obtained government recognition and access to official structures.
The investigation also highlights the importance of stronger verification mechanisms across government institutions, particularly where organisations seek administrative codes, financial access, office accommodation, recruitment waivers or inclusion in the federal budget.
Adeyemi Denies Wrongdoing
Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing and maintained that his appointment was legitimate.
He is facing an eight-count charge relating to alleged forgery, impersonation and other offences.
The Presidency, however, has maintained that neither the PFIPC nor Adeyemi received official recognition under the Tinubu administration.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial determination.
What the PFIPC Scandal Reveals About Government Oversight
The PFIPC controversy goes beyond the question of whether one individual allegedly presented false documents. The investigation exposes a broader challenge involving institutional verification, administrative accountability and controls over government financial systems.
For an organisation to move from presenting disputed documents to obtaining an administrative code, self-accounting status, office accommodation and budgetary recognition, multiple layers of government interaction were required.
The case therefore raises important questions about how government institutions verify the authenticity of establishment instruments, appointment letters and other documents before granting administrative privileges.
It also demonstrates why government approvals should not be treated as independent transactions. Where one institution grants recognition based on documents supplied by an applicant, subsequent institutions may rely on that earlier approval without independently confirming the underlying legal status.
Strengthening cross-government verification, maintaining complete administrative records and ensuring that officials follow established approval procedures could help prevent similar incidents in the future.
The ICPC investigation is therefore significant not only because of the allegations against individuals involved in the PFIPC affair, but also because it provides an opportunity for the Federal Government to identify and close institutional loopholes that can be exploited by individuals seeking to create the appearance of official authority.
Until the investigation and court proceedings are concluded, the allegations against the individuals involved remain allegations, and the accused are entitled to due process under Nigerian law.