A parliamentary investigation into a purported government council has uncovered a web of suspicious financial and official activities that has raised serious questions about the organisation.
A parliamentary committee investigating a purported government council has uncovered about 58 bank accounts allegedly linked to its director general Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, .
The committee said many of these accounts were operated in the names of different companies, foundations and agencies that appear connected to the same person, raising questions about who actually controls these organisations.
The committee also found evidence of an alleged N400 million transaction where a company claimed the director general convinced it to make payments after promising he could secure a contract for renovation work.
Investigators are tracing where that money went and who benefited from it.
More significantly, the committee found no proof that the purported council was ever legally established.
There is no act of parliament, presidential order or official document creating it.
Instead, the committee uncovered evidence suggesting fake documents were created, including a forged presidential appointment letter and fake Executive Orders.
The chief of staff to the president was cleared of involvement after the committee confirmed he did not issue the purported appointment letter.
Records from the president’s office showed the letterhead and reference number did not match official correspondence.
When the chief of staff learned of the organisation’s suspicious activities, he promptly reported it to security and investigative agencies.
The fake council apparently gained credibility by occupying office space in the government building, operating a website that made it look official, and using the names and photos of the president and other senior officials without permission.
The committee said about 39 people were listed as employees, with some allegedly asked to pay money for employment.
The committee recommended that all government ministries stop recognising or dealing with this fake council.
It urged investigations be completed quickly, money traced and recovered, and criminal cases filed where evidence supports it.
The committee also recommended stronger security procedures to prevent fake government institutions from being created in the future, including a digital system to verify which government institutions are legitimate.