Fake Agency Scandal: Detained Self-Styled DG Denies Sole Responsibility, Accuses MDAs of Validating Council

The detained self-proclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, has denied allegations that he single-handedly created the disputed agency, insisting that several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government officially recognised, processed and interacted with the council.

Adeyemi, who is currently in police custody, made the claims in a statement issued on Sunday through his legal defence team, led by Festus Akhigbe. The statement also called on the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the council to grant him an opportunity to testify.

According to the defence, denying Adeyemi the chance to appear before the committee chaired by Rep. Yusuf Gagdi would violate his constitutional right to a fair hearing and undermine the credibility of the panel’s findings.

“We formally request that the panel issue the necessary administrative clearance to allow our client, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, to appear in person and testify,” the statement said.

It added that any investigative report produced without hearing directly from Adeyemi would be “fundamentally flawed, incomplete and a breach of the constitutional right to a fair hearing.”

The legal team rejected claims portraying Adeyemi as the sole architect of the alleged fake agency, arguing that multiple government institutions acknowledged and engaged with the council over an extended period.

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According to the defence, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation acknowledged documents relating to the council and facilitated the allocation of office space within the Federal Secretariat.

It further alleged that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria processed official documentation that led to the issuance of administrative budget codes, the granting of self-accounting status, the posting of federal civil servants to the council and the opening of operational accounts.

The lawyers also claimed that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved the council’s organisational structure and granted recruitment waivers that enabled the engagement of 314 personnel.

They further alleged that senior security officials attended programmes organised by the council, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allocated a property to the organisation, requested a processing fee and presented a plaque in recognition of its leadership.

Questioning the basis for holding their client solely responsible, the defence argued that it was implausible for one individual to deceive multiple government institutions without official backing.

“If the SGF, the Accountant-General, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Head of Service, the Budget Office, the EFCC, the National Assembly and the heads of Nigeria’s primary security architecture all verified, processed, funded and officially interacted with this agency over an extended period, how can a single citizen be held uniquely responsible?” the statement queried.

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The defence maintained that Adeyemi was being made a scapegoat for broader institutional failures, procedural lapses and official approvals within the public service.

It therefore called for an expanded, independent investigation involving civil society organisations, legal experts and other stakeholders to examine the complete documentation and administrative processes across all MDAs linked to the council.

Punch reports that the legal team argued that justice would not be served by prosecuting one individual while overlooking the government institutions that allegedly processed, approved and interacted with the organisation.

The controversy surrounding the PFIPC has remained under legislative scrutiny following allegations that the council operated without lawful establishment.

During recent hearings by the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, admitted that her office failed to conduct adequate due diligence before approving recruitment requests associated with the council.

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