ICPC recommends prosecution of man behind fake government agency

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recommended the prosecution of Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew after an interim investigation uncovered an elaborate scheme involving the operation of a fictitious government agency, forged official documents and the false claim of being a federal government appointee.

ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the findings on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while presenting an interim report to President Bola Tinubu, exactly 30 days after the President directed the commission to investigate the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Aliyu said the investigation established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government or any authorised public institution, stressing that the PFIPC had no legal basis as it was never created by any law, executive order or other valid government instrument.

According to the ICPC chairman, the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi, along with several documents used to facilitate the operations of the fake agency, were forged.

He further revealed that the commission found that the PFIPC unlawfully appropriated the identity, offices and operational instruments of the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) while engaging in impersonation, false representation and other unlawful activities.

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The commission, however, said its investigation found no evidence that Federal Government funds were approved or disbursed to either the fake PFIPC or the PEAC. It also stated that investigators did not identify any weaknesses in the operational systems of the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Aliyu disclosed that the fake appointment letter did not originate from the Presidency.

The investigation also revealed that Adeyemi allegedly established two additional fictitious agencies—the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-PPP)—using forged legislative documents presented as enabling Acts to facilitate the opening of bank accounts.

Although the probe uncovered gaps in verification processes, inter-agency oversight and administrative procedures, the ICPC chairman said there were indications of negligence and possible connivance by some public officers that enabled the fraudulent operation to continue.

In addition to recommending Adeyemi’s prosecution, the commission called for administrative sanctions against officials whose actions or omissions aided the illegal activities and proposed institutional reforms aimed at strengthening oversight and preventing similar incidents.

Aliyu added that investigations are ongoing into the activities of the suspect, the bank accounts linked to the fake agencies and other individuals believed to have collaborated in the scheme.