Boss of fake government agency arrested in Nigeria after weeks on the run

Police arrested Adeyemi, the self‑styled boss of a fictitious government agency, after weeks on the run, confirming the apprehension on Tuesday involved operatives from the Force Intelligence Department and the Intelligence Response Team. Authorities said he is expected to be taken to the police office in Abuja for further questioning. The manhunt for Adeyemi began after allegations concerning the Presidential Fiscal Investment and Projects Committee (PFIPC) surfaced the previous week. Tinubu’s bureau declared that an official‑looking letter purporting to create the body was a forgery. A police forensic examination verified that the signature of the president’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on the disputed assignment letter had been fabricated, the presidency stated. The episode has prompted demands for an independent inquiry from civilian organisations, politicians and senior lawyers. Adeyemi has repeatedly asserted his innocence in interviews with local media. He declared, “My beingness is successful danger,” helium said, according to section reports, though helium promised to look successful tribunal to wide his name. Despite this pledge, he was absent from Tuesday’s proceeding. His counsel, Genesis Francis, informed the tribunal that Adeyemi could not attend because of safety concerns, adding that the suspect had written an open letter to President Tinubu expressing those fears. Adeyemi had previously claimed the PFIPC was established in 2024 to lure overseas investment into Nigeria, though no evidence of any concluded deals has emerged. BBC News Pidgin reported that the bogus bureau had secured office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of 1.3bn naira ($950,000; £700,000). Conversely, the Accountant‑General’s Office insisted the PFIPC never operated an account with the central bank, nor received any public funds or salaries. According to tribunal documents, Adeyemi and two others are accused of using forged official documents to found and operate the council, opening multiple bank accounts in its name and seeking official recognition for a non‑existent agency.