The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recommended administrative action against 13 federal civil servants linked to the scandal surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a body the commission confirmed was never established by any law, executive order, or valid government instrument.
Interim Report Submitted to President Tinubu
The findings are contained in an interim report the ICPC submitted to President Bola Tinubu on August 6, following his directive for a probe into how the organisation gained access to government offices, financial systems and public resources without any legal backing. The commission's investigation exposed significant lapses in the verification processes of government institutions.
The 13 officials recommended for administrative action span several key government institutions. They include Mimi Abu from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Rosemary Achem, a special adviser in the Budget Office; and Patricia Akhigbe from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as reported by Premium Times.
Officials Named in the ICPC Report
Officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) make up the bulk of those named, including Sanni Olubunmi, Joshua Kadiri Luka, Muazu Balami, Omameh Florence, Akinlose Moses, Ogaba Harry, Esther Orji Okoli and Bello Abdullahi. Aminu Abdullahi from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Ogunbade Habeebat Ajibola of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) also appear on the list.
Beyond administrative action, the ICPC recommended the prosecution of Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the PFIPC's Director-General, on charges of forgery, impersonation, making false statements to public officers and criminal misrepresentation. The commission confirmed he was never appointed by the federal government.
Deeper Investigation Sought into Ministries and Bank Accounts
The ICPC also called for further investigation into the roles of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance in the process through which the PFIPC was accorded a semblance of legitimacy. The report recommended inviting Unity Bank officials, including its managing director, chief compliance officer and relevant account officers, for questioning, according to Vanguard.
On July 29, 2025, the OAGF wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria requesting the creation of four domiciliary accounts for two agencies, including the PFIPC. The CBN subsequently opened dollar and pound accounts for the organisation. Mr Adeyemi had earlier, in November 2024, approached the OSGF to obtain office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and applied for self-accounting status.
Gaps in Verification and Related Developments
The ICPC said the investigation exposed gaps in how government institutions verify the legal status of organisations seeking access to public resources and recommended stronger document authentication mechanisms across agencies.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was cleared of wrongdoing by the ICPC, had previously described the PFIPC as fake. Mr Adeyemi was arrested in July after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant when he failed to appear for arraignment. He faces eight criminal counts and has denied wrongdoing.
Separately, the same investigation uncovered a second suspected fake agency, the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office, allegedly operating within the OSGF. President Tinubu subsequently ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries and the arrest of that agency's alleged promoter, George Buchi Nwabueze.
Adeyemi's Father Speaks on Police Arrest
Legit.ng earlier reported that Elder Adeniyi, father of embattled Adeniyi Adeyemi, expressed shock over the allegations against his son, just days after his own arrest by the police amid agency controversy. Adeyemi was accused of impersonating a nonexistent government agency's DG and of accusing the Chief of Staff to the president. Adeyemi's father claimed that police disrupted his home and, without telling him why, proceeded with their search for Adeyemi. The ICPC's interim report marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation, with further inquiries recommended into the ministries and bank officials involved.
