Nigeria probes phantom agency that infiltrated ministries

A sophisticated alleged fraud involving a nonexistent government agency has exposed significant vulnerabilities within Nigeria's federal bureaucracy, raising urgent questions about institutional safeguards and verification processes. At the center of the scandal is Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an entity the Presidency has repeatedly disowned.

Adeyemi is currently facing criminal charges related to false representation and the use of disputed documents. The Presidency has labeled him a "con artist" and stated that security agencies were directed to investigate the matter, leading to his arrest and prosecution. However, the case has evolved beyond a single individual, revealing how the purported council allegedly gained official recognition across multiple government departments over an extended period.

Documents indicate that at least a dozen government agencies and offices, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Budget Office, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, processed requests...