The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Friday dismissed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) interim report on the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), alleging that the anti-graft agency had failed to answer the critical questions surrounding how an agency later declared non-existent allegedly gained access to the highest levels of government.
The advocacy group said the report concentrated almost entirely on the alleged activities of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi while leaving unresolved what it described as the institutional failures and possible official complicity that enabled the PFIPC to operate unchecked.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA argued that the findings released by the ICPC represented only a fraction of the scandal, insisting that Nigerians deserved answers beyond the allegations against one suspect.
The ICPC, in its interim findings, alleged that Adeyemi forged government documents, falsely presented himself as Director-General of the PFIPC, established other fictitious agencies, opened bank accounts with forged documents and exploited weaknesses in government institutions.
But HURIWA questioned how those alleged activities could have continued for months without failures by public officials charged with safeguarding government processes.
The group posed a series of questions it said remained unanswered by investigators.
It asked who granted the operators of the PFIPC access to Ministries, Departments and Agencies; who approved official engagements; who processed the documents used by the organisation; who ignored verification procedures; and how a body the Presidency later described as non-existent allegedly appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a multi-billion-naira budget provision.
“It stretches credibility to suggest that one private individual acting alone infiltrated several government institutions, secured official engagements and sustained the operations of a non-existent agency without negligence, institutional failure or possible collaboration from within the public service,” the statement said.
HURIWA also expressed concern over reports that the ICPC recommended administrative sanctions for some public officers whose negligence allegedly enabled the activities of the fake agency.
According to the organisation, where evidence points beyond negligence to possible criminal misconduct, disciplinary measures alone would be inadequate.
“The Nigerian people deserve to know not only who allegedly forged documents but also those who opened official doors, ignored warning signs and failed in their statutory responsibilities,” the group stated.
It noted that the ICPC itself acknowledged weaknesses in inter-agency coordination, verification procedures and internal control mechanisms, arguing that such systemic failures could not occur without identifiable officials being responsible for them.
HURIWA warned that limiting accountability to one suspect could weaken public confidence in the country’s anti-corruption campaign and reinforce perceptions that influential individuals were being shielded from scrutiny.
The group therefore urged the ICPC to widen its investigation to cover all public officers and institutions linked to the PFIPC controversy, regardless of their status or political connections.
It also called on the National Assembly to intensify its separate inquiry and publicly establish the sequence of events that enabled the controversial body to obtain official recognition and interact with government institutions.
HURIWA further urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the investigation is pursued without fear or favour, insisting that every person against whom credible evidence emerges should face the same standard of accountability.
The organisation maintained that until Nigerians receive a comprehensive explanation of how an agency later declared non-existent allegedly operated within government circles and featured in official processes, the PFIPC controversy would remain one of the most significant accountability tests confronting the current administration.