Federal authorities were deceived into granting administrative recognition to a fictitious government body after a forged letter purportedly from the State House bypassed standard verification channels, according to the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, the Accountant-General, testified before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). He stated that his office processed an administrative code for the organisation in November 2024 after receiving correspondence on a genuine-looking State House letterhead.
The request sought an administrative code to facilitate budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting for what appeared to be a legitimate presidential initiative. Treasury officials acted in good faith because the request carried the insignia and apparent authority of the nation's seat of power.
Ogunjimi revealed that a response issued by the treasury on November 29, 2024, to notify the State House and the Budget Office was intercepted before reaching its destination. Investigators determined that Adeniyi Adeyemi, the individual posing as the director-general of the council, allegedly hijacked the correspondence.
“The letter that was written to the treasury for us to give an administrative code was responded to,” Ogunjimi told lawmakers during the investigative hearing. “Unfortunately, as events unfolded, it was discovered that that letter did not get to State House. It was hijacked, precisely by the same man who claimed to be the director-general.”
The Accountant-General explained that had the treasury’s reply successfully reached the presidency, officials would have immediately uncovered that the initial request was never authorised. Subsequent reviews proved that every document submitted by the promoters, including a counterfeit act of the National Assembly and appointment letters, was completely fabricated.
The legislative panel is examining how the non-existent entity secured a controversial allocation of about 1.32 billion Naira in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Lawmakers are also probing how the operators managed to obtain office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and integrate civil servants into the structure without immediate detection.
Ogunjimi confirmed that two treasury staff members assigned to the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser in previous years were absorbed into the fake agency without the knowledge of the Accountant-General's office. He added that while the Central Bank of Nigeria opened two domiciliary accounts for inflows after receiving requests, the accounts never became operational because the operators failed to fulfill mandatory regulatory requirements.
The Presidency has previously disowned the council and distanced Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila from any involvement. Police authorities have since filed multi-count criminal charges of fraud and forgery against Adeyemi at the Federal High Court.
Concluding Monday's session, the House ad hoc committee directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi before the committee for further questioning regarding the falsification of official documents.