A fictitious federal entity allocated 1.3 billion naira (£705,248) in Nigeria's 2026 budget has triggered a major political storm in Africa's largest democracy, just months before the January general election.
The fake agency came to light in October when Femi Gbajabiamila, the president's chief of staff, wrote to police alleging his signature, official seals and reference numbers had been forged by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who claimed to have been appointed to head the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The case is due to be heard in an Abuja court on 27 July, more than six months after police filed an eight-count charge including criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence against Adeyemi and two others.
In a 1 July statement, the Nigerian presidency claimed Adeyemi met ambassadors without foreign ministry knowledge and misled the accountant-general's office into opening accounts for PFIPC with the central bank and 33 commercial banks. The actual Nigerian Investment Promotion Council also reportedly raised concerns about similarities with the PFIPC.
Apart from budget allocation, PFIPC was also assigned office space in the federal secretariat in Abuja, a vast complex housing civil service headquarters and many government ministries. This has raised questions about how Adeyemi gained access, with critics speculating collusion with high-level officials.
President Bola Tinubu on 10 July directed the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to open a probe. A Senate motion for an independent investigation failed, while the House of Representatives set up a committee to question Budget Minister Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
Critics of the Tinubu regime have pointed to the controversial records of key officials mentioned in the scandal. Gbajabiamila was suspended from practicing law in Atlanta for three years in 2007, while Bagudu spent six months in a US federal prison in 2003 for alleged complicity with former dictator Sani Abacha.
The scandal has piled pressure on Tinubu ahead of January's election, with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar calling for an independent commission of inquiry comprising neutral parties.
Source: www.theguardian.com