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Inside the Fake Agency Scandal: Staff Detail How Adeyemi’s ‘Presidential Council’ Operated Without Work or Direction

Published

3 months ago

July 4, 2026

Reps Panel Traces 58 Bank Accounts, 12 Illegal Entities in PFIPC Fraud Network

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi

Inside the Fake Agency Scandal: Staff Detail How Adeyemi’s ‘Presidential Council’ Operated Without Work or Direction

Fresh testimony from three senior civil servants reveals the inner workings of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) — a phantom agency that allegedly secured N1.3 billion in the national budget and operated from the Federal Secretariat for months. At the centre of the storm is Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is facing an eight-count charge of forgery and impersonation over claims he created a fake government agency, forged presidential appointment letters, and falsely presented himself as its Director-General. The Federal Government has distanced itself from the council, with the Presidency insisting no such body exists. But Adeyemi has denied all allegations, vowing to clear his name in court and publicly accusing Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, of corruption. Now, previously undisclosed testimonies from staff deployed to the council paint a stark picture of a “do‑nothing” office where civil servants were left idle and confused.

Three senior officials — Ojo Victor, 55, an Assistant Chief Accountant; Omeh Amarachukwu, 40, an internal auditor; and Wakili Saidu, 45, an audit officer — were deployed from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to the PFIPC in August 2025. In statements to police investigators on November 10, 2025, they described a workplace that raised immediate red flags. According to court documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Adeyemi had written to the Accountant-General on April 4, 2025, requesting staff to fill positions including Principal Accountant, Accountant I, and Principal Auditor. The request was approved, and the three officers were posted on August 28. But when they resumed work on September 8, they were given a shared open office and — startlingly — no assignments, no work schedules, and no formal documentation.

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Victor told investigators, “We are three officers posted at the same time, and when we resumed on 8 September, the three of us were given an open office that the three of us were sitting down without doing anything.” He added, “I have not been documented, and no schedule has been given to me since my assumption, which I find very strange.” Wakili Saidu reported, “Since then, there has been no correspondence between me and the DG.” With nothing to do, attendance dwindled. Victor said he went in once or twice a week “just to show our face.” Amarachukwu said he only reported once a week because “we have nothing doing.” Saidu went in three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. All three said they had never heard of the PFIPC before receiving their posting letters.

The scandal deepened when it emerged that the disputed council appears in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a N1,302,978,784 allocation. According to Daily Trust, the allocation appears on pages 50 and 51 of the budget, with N1,002,978,784 for recurrent expenditure and N300 million for capital projects. Budget line items include salary at N573,260,187, allowances and social contribution at N229,718,596, and logistics for hosting World Investment Summit 2026 at N182,500,000. The civic technology organisation BudgIT has called for an independent investigation, noting that the PFIPC did not appear as a budgeted entity in the 2023, 2024, or 2025 budgets, and asked how the agency got an office space at the Federal Secretariat and operated for over a year. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also demanded answers, questioning who prepared the budget estimates bearing its name, which ministry submitted them, and which officials defended those estimates before the National Assembly.

The Presidency has strongly defended Gbajabiamila, stating that he was the one who first alerted security agencies to the alleged forgery. In a statement, Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga said the Chief of Staff petitioned the DSS and Police on October 17, 2025, after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council complained about a rival body operating “at cross‑purposes” with it. Gbajabiamila wrote in his petition, “The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office.” According to the Presidency, police investigations established that Adeyemi forged his appointment letter and official letterheads, operated 34 bank accounts including nine in the names of fictitious agencies, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the OAGF, and solicited a Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain US visas for staff. Onanuga noted that Adeyemi has a “history of fraudulent misrepresentation,” including a 2016 incident where he falsely claimed to be an “ambassador” for a UN‑affiliated group. Adeyemi, who is on police bail, is due in court on July 27.

The case is now before the Federal High Court in Abuja, and the political fallout continues. The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for Gbajabiamila’s suspension pending investigation. Meanwhile, BudgIT and Atiku are demanding a thorough probe into how the phantom agency secured a budget allocation. For now, the testimonies of three bewildered civil servants remain a powerful window into one of Nigeria’s most extraordinary governance scandals.

Inside the Fake Agency Scandal: Staff Detail How Adeyemi’s ‘Presidential Council’ Operated Without Work or Direction

Related Topics:Fake Agency Presidential Council

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Nigeria Launches 11-Character Digital Postcode System for Every Addressable Building

Published

6 hours ago

October 2, 2026

Trends Admin

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani

Nigeria Launches 11-Character Digital Postcode System for Every Addressable Building

The Federal Government has launched Nigeria’s National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System, giving addressable buildings across the country unique 11-character digital postcodes linked to their precise geographical locations.

The system was officially launched on October 1, 2026, through the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s addressing infrastructure and make it easier to identify homes, businesses, schools, farms, offices and other locations.

The new digital postcode system uses Geographic Information System technology to provide a precise and verifiable digital reference for buildings. Unlike the traditional postcode system, which generally identifies broader geographical areas, the new system is designed to pinpoint individual addressable buildings.

The 11-character code is organised across five geographical levels: state, local government area, district, area and building. The characters progressively narrow the location down to a specific building.

The Federal Government said the system is designed to address longstanding problems associated with inaccurate or incomplete addresses, including missed deliveries and difficulties faced by emergency responders, businesses and government agencies.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said accurate location information was essential to improving commerce, public services and economic participation.

Tijani urged Nigerians to find, save and use their digital postcodes, saying the system could help businesses reach customers, enable families to provide precise locations during emergencies and support government agencies in delivering services.

The government estimates that Nigeria loses between ₦50 billion and ₦80 billion annually through missed and failed deliveries associated with poor addressing. Officials said the impact extends beyond logistics to emergency response, security operations, financial services, business activities and government planning.

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The NIPOST digital postcode belongs to a building rather than an individual. This means the code remains associated with the property even when residents or businesses occupying it change.

The new system is also designed to complement existing street addresses and mapping services rather than replace them. Users can provide their digital postcode alongside their conventional address when receiving deliveries or accessing services.

Nigerians can search for their postcode through the official Digital Postcode platform or mobile application. Users can search for their building or use location services to identify the building where they are.

Where a building cannot be found, users can submit its location and address details for verification and assignment of a postcode.

The service allows individuals to find, save and share their postcodes with family members, businesses, delivery companies and other service providers that require accurate location information.

Organisations can also integrate the digital postcode into their platforms for functions including address verification, customer and merchant onboarding, logistics, deliveries and location-based services.

The system is expected to have significant applications in e-commerce and last-mile delivery, where inaccurate addresses and dependence on informal landmarks can cause delays and additional costs.

Emergency response agencies are also expected to benefit from the system because responders can use a standard location reference to identify specific buildings during emergencies.

Security agencies, financial institutions, government departments and other organisations can similarly use the location data for planning, verification and service delivery.

The launch followed preparatory work by NIPOST, including a nationwide postcode validation exercise aimed at improving the accuracy and reliability of location data ahead of the national rollout.

The Federal Government has described the initiative as an important part of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, with potential applications in logistics, e-commerce, emergency services, security, financial inclusion, urban planning and digital public services.

NIPOST is encouraging Nigerians to identify their 11-character digital postcode and begin using it whenever precise location information is required.

The rollout is expected to provide Nigeria with a common digital location reference and reduce some of the challenges associated with identifying and reaching specific buildings across the country.

Nigeria Launches 11-Character Digital Postcode System for Every Addressable Building

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Military Personnel Begin Receiving FG-Approved Salary Increase

Published

6 hours ago

October 2, 2026

Trends Admin

Military Personnel Begin Receiving FG-Approved Salary Increase

Personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces have begun receiving their September salaries with the Federal Government-approved salary increase reflected in their payments, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, confirmed the development on Wednesday, saying the implementation marked the fulfilment of the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare and conditions of service of military personnel.

The revised military salary structure followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval in August and took effect from September 1, 2026.

Under the approved arrangement, personnel from the rank of Private to Sergeant are entitled to an 80 per cent salary increase, while those from Warrant Officer to Colonel are to receive a 50 per cent increase.

Officers from the rank of Brigadier-General and above are to receive a 30 per cent increase.

The Federal Government had said the adjustment would raise the annual salary bill for the Armed Forces from about ₦660 billion to ₦924 billion, representing an additional ₦264 billion in personnel expenditure.

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The implementation comes as the military continues operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other security threats across the country.

The government has linked the salary review to broader efforts to improve troop welfare and conditions of service, alongside investments in military infrastructure, equipment and manpower.

The Defence Headquarters’ confirmation also comes amid the Federal Government’s wider expansion of the Armed Forces. The Nigerian Army is being expanded from eight to 12 divisions, while additional personnel are being recruited to strengthen the military’s operational capacity.

In a related development, the Federal Government is also implementing infrastructure projects aimed at improving accommodation and living conditions for military personnel and their families.

The revised pay structure is expected to provide increased remuneration for serving personnel according to their ranks, while further implementation details will determine how the new salary package is reflected across the different services and categories of personnel.

The Army, Navy and Air Force remain covered by the revised salary arrangement as the government continues its broader military welfare programme.

Military Personnel Begin Receiving FG-Approved Salary Increase

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2027 Hajj: Nigeria Secures 10,000 Extra Slots, Allocation Hits 60,000

Published

8 hours ago

October 2, 2026

Trends Admin

2027 Hajj: Nigeria Secures 10,000 Extra Slots, Allocation Hits 60,000

Nigeria has secured an additional 10,000 Hajj slots from Saudi Arabia, raising the country’s total allocation for the 2027 Hajj pilgrimage from 50,000 to 60,000 pilgrims.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) announced the development on Thursday, October 1, 2026, saying the additional allocation followed sustained engagements between the Federal Government and Saudi Arabian authorities.

Of the additional 10,000 slots, 7,500 have been allocated to State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions, while the remaining 2,500 slots have been assigned to seven lead licensed private tour operator companies.

The additional allocation represents a 20 per cent increase over Nigeria’s previously approved 50,000-slot quota for the 2027 Hajj.

Before the increase, Nigeria’s allocation stood at 50,000 pilgrims, comprising 35,000 slots for government-sponsored pilgrims and 15,000 for licensed private tour operators.

The latest approval followed an earlier decision by Saudi Arabia to reject Nigeria’s request for additional slots. NAHCON had announced in September that the request was turned down due to capacity limitations, structural constraints at the holy sites and the Kingdom’s policy of adhering to approved country quotas.

Further engagements between Nigerian officials and the Saudi authorities subsequently resulted in the additional allocation.

NAHCON Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and Saudi authorities for the additional slots.

Yusuf also acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, and Deputy Minister Dr Abdul Fattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, for the Kingdom’s cooperation.

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The NAHCON chairman said the development reflected the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, particularly their cooperation in facilitating the Hajj pilgrimage for Nigerian Muslims.

He assured intending pilgrims and other stakeholders that the additional slots would be administered transparently and judiciously, in line with Nigerian and Saudi Arabian regulations and operational requirements.

NAHCON also reiterated its commitment to making Hajj accessible and affordable to Nigerians, while maintaining standards in service delivery, accountability and operational efficiency.

The commission said it would work with state pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies and commissions, as well as licensed private tour operators, to implement the expanded allocation.

The increase comes as preparations for the 2027 Hajj are already underway. NAHCON had earlier required the biometric data of intending pilgrims to be uploaded to the designated Nusuk-Masar platform in line with requirements from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The additional allocation means NAHCON and relevant state and private pilgrimage operators will now have to incorporate the extra beneficiaries into the existing operational arrangements.

The precise breakdown of the additional 7,500 state-controlled slots among individual states was not contained in the commission’s announcement.

The new allocation is expected to provide additional places for Nigerian Muslims seeking to undertake the 2027 Hajj, following strong demand from intending pilgrims and requests for increased allocations.

NAHCON said it would continue working with Saudi authorities and other stakeholders to ensure a well-coordinated 2027 Hajj exercise and protect the welfare of Nigerian pilgrims.

With the latest approval, Nigeria’s 2027 Hajj allocation now stands at 60,000 pilgrims, comprising the original 50,000 slots and the newly approved 10,000 additional places.