Tinubu, ICPC chairman in talks at Aso Rock

President Bola Tinubu held a meeting at the Aso Rock Villa with Dr Musa Aliyu, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The meeting took place on Thursday evening, with Aliyu arriving at the presidential premises around 5:40 pm. The specific agenda for their discussion was not immediately disclosed.

This engagement follows President Tinubu's directive on Wednesday during a Federal Executive Council meeting for a comprehensive forensic investigation into the alleged "Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council" (PFIPC) scandal. This directive came after earlier revelations by the ICPC concerning at least two other fake agencies operating within government institutions, in addition to the one already publicly known.

Exactly two weeks prior to this meeting, on August 6, Aliyu had presented the commission's interim report on the PFIPC investigation to President Tinubu at the Villa. This report was submitted 30 days after the President mandated the ICPC on July 7 to investigate the self-styled agency and its promoter, Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi. Adeyemi had previously accused the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of accepting a N400 million bribe to facilitate his appointment.

In its interim report, the ICPC revealed that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government, and the PFIPC was never legally established. The commission also found that the appointment letter Adeyemi presented was forged. Furthermore, the ICPC uncovered that Adeyemi had created two additional fictitious agencies and unlawfully occupied an office after its locks were allegedly broken. The report recommended Adeyemi's prosecution and administrative sanctions against public officers involved, alongside institutional reforms to enhance internal controls.