PFIPC vows to cooperate with ICPC as Reps launch probe into N1.3bn ‘ghost agency’ scandal
The embattled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has pledged to cooperate with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as investigations begin into the controversial N1.3 billion allocation to the agency in the 2026 budget.
Adeyemi’s declaration came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the council within 30 days, insisting that the agency does not exist and was fraudulently inserted into the national budget.
The controversy also sparked differing reactions in the National Assembly, with the House of Representatives launching its own investigation while the Senate opted to await the outcome of the ICPC probe.
Speaking during a social media interview with influencer VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi said he was ready to hand over all documents in his possession to security agencies.
“I am willing and ready to help security agencies or any panel set up by Mr. President to unravel the truth. Any moment from now, I will go to the DSS or the police to submit all the documents I have.
“They should authenticate them. They should verify them. They should unravel the truth,” he said.
Adeyemi also questioned how an agency now described by the Presidency as non-existent secured funding in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
“When the Presidency said the agency does not exist, I wondered how an agency that found its way into the national budget could suddenly be described as fake.
“I was in detention for 23 days during the period the budget was being prepared. I did not prepare or defend any budget, and nobody went to defend it on my behalf.”
He declined to directly accuse the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over previous allegations, insisting that only an independent investigation could establish the truth.
The PFIPC boss also claimed he survived an attack by gunmen near Zuma Rock in September 2025 and maintained that the council was created to attract foreign investment into Nigeria.
Reps begin investigation
The House of Representatives has set up an ad hoc committee to investigate how the agency allegedly secured a budgetary allocation of N1.302 billion despite questions over its legal existence.
Leading the debate, lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi described the development as a serious breach of Nigeria’s budget process.
According to him, the agency relied on documents claiming to be backed by legislation that does not exist.
Lawmakers directed the committee to summon the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Director-General of the Budget Office to explain how the allocation passed through the verification process.
The House also asked the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation not to release any funds to the agency pending the outcome of the investigation.
In addition, lawmakers resolved that future Appropriation Bills should include the legal basis establishing every ministry, department and agency listed for funding.
Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satomi, described the matter as a threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s appropriation process.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu also revealed that his office had been misled by the agency after it presented official-looking documents bearing Presidency letterheads and government branding.
Senate backs ICPC probe
Unlike the House, the Senate declined to open a separate investigation.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin ruled that lawmakers should allow the ICPC to complete its assignment before deciding on any further action.
The decision halted a motion by Senator Kawu Sumaila, who wanted the Senate to investigate how the alleged ghost agency received more than N1.3 billion in the 2026 budget.
According to Sumaila, the allocation included over N800 million for personnel costs, more than N200 million for overheads and over N300 million for capital projects.
Barau, however, maintained that the Senate would consider the matter after receiving the anti-graft agency’s report.
Atiku, ADC reject Tinubu’s directive
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised President Tinubu’s decision to hand the investigation to the ICPC, describing it as an internal exercise that lacked credibility.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku called for an independent commission of inquiry involving the Nigerian Bar Association, opposition parties, civil society groups and retired judges.
According to him, the Presidency cannot investigate a scandal in which its own officials are alleged to be involved.
“The issue before Nigerians is no longer whether one individual allegedly forged documents. The issue is how an organisation the Presidency insists never existed acquired office accommodation, interacted with government institutions and found its way into the national budget,” the statement said.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) also rejected the ICPC probe, arguing that the anti-graft agency reports to the executive and could not independently investigate the matter.
The party further condemned the reported arrest of Adeyemi’s father by security operatives, describing it as intimidation intended to influence the investigation.
According to the ADC, the probe should determine whether the disputed documents were forged, fraudulently obtained or legitimately issued, rather than relying on conclusions already announced by the Presidency.
