By Stephen Simon
A Nigerian man accused of creating a fictitious government agency and installing himself as its director-general has been remanded in custody after being charged with forgery and impersonation.
The accused, Adeniyi Adeyemi, is alleged to have created the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an organisation the Presidency says it never established or authorised.
Prosecutors told the court that the purported agency nevertheless secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, obtained about $1 million in budgetary allocation and attempted to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Adeyemi is also accused of using forged government documents, including an appointment letter allegedly bearing the name and purported signature of President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
According to the prosecution, several government institutions processed requests from the purported agency, apparently believing that it was a legitimate government body.
Adeyemi pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained that the agency was genuine, insisting that he followed the required procedures in seeking its recognition and inclusion in government spending plans.
The case has attracted attention because of the alleged ability of the purported agency to operate within government structures and obtain official facilities and funding despite the Presidency’s denial that it existed.
The allegations have also raised questions about the processes through which government agencies are established, recognised and included in the federal budget.
The prosecution is expected to present evidence aimed at establishing how the alleged organisation operated and how the accused allegedly used official-looking documents to secure recognition from government institutions.
The accused was remanded pending further proceedings, with the case scheduled to return to court on October 12.
The case could therefore provide further details about the alleged activities of the organisation and the circumstances under which it was able to operate within government structures before its existence was challenged by the authorities.
