ICPC exposes fake Presidential Council that infiltrated Nigerian budget

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has released findings from an investigation into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an organization the Nigerian presidency has disowned as a fake agency. The investigation, ordered by President Bola Tinubu, revealed that the purported council, led by Adeniyi Adeyemi, successfully infiltrated government structures using forged documents.

According to the ICPC, Adeyemi used a non-existent individual named Akanbi Adewale to sign fraudulent letters on State House letterhead. Despite these irregularities, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation granted the organization self-accounting status and an administrative code. This allowed the PFIPC to be included in the 2026 federal budget with an allocation of approximately ₦1.3 billion.

The ICPC faulted the Budget Office of the Federation for onboarding the entity without verifying its legal status. The commission identified several civil servants who allegedly facilitated the process, including officials from the Budget Office, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Additionally, the ICPC cleared Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila of any involvement, stating there was no evidence he was involved in Adeyemi’s purported appointment.