CDHR Demands Comprehensive Investigation, Accountability Over Discovery of Fake Govt Agencies

Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called for a comprehensive investigation into the reported discovery of fake and counterfeit government agencies operating in Nigeria, demanding that those responsible and their collaborators be held accountable where culpability is established. CDHR, in a statement jointly signed by its President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Comrade Debo Adeniran, and National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Deacon Jeremiah Onyibe, respectively, commended the federal government for allowing the revelations to come to public attention. However, the human rights organisation warned that the discovery must not be the end of the matter, stressing that the existence of purported government agencies operating outside the legitimate structure of government raise serious questions about accountability, supervision, public expenditure, and the integrity of Nigeria’s public service. the statement said, “CDHR, therefore, calls on the Federal Government to immediately commence a comprehensive, transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the creation, registration, operation and funding of all identified fake agencies.” It urged the government to identify those responsible for establishing, promoting, financing, or facilitating the entities, including any collaborators within the government, and prosecute them in accordance with the law where culpability was established through due process. The group also called for investigations into whether public funds, salaries, contracts, grants, government properties, or other resources were fraudulently obtained or diverted through the entities. CDHR called on the National Assembly to urgently investigate how the alleged fake agencies were able to emerge and operate without effective detection. It said parliamentary oversight of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must be proactive, continuous, and effective rather than reactive. “Relevant committees of the National Assembly should summon responsible officials, examine records, and establish the institutional failures that allowed fake agencies to exist,” the group said. According to CDHR, the revelations should trigger a broader review of the procedures for establishing, recognising, funding, and supervising government agencies. The organisation urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other relevant law-enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter. It said investigations should not be limited to the agencies already exposed but should determine whether other fake, duplicated, counterfeit or improperly constituted government agencies were operating within or around the public service. The group said, “Where criminal conduct is established, the promoters, beneficiaries, facilitators and collaborators must be brought before the courts. The law must apply equally to private individuals and public officials.” CDHR also demanded explanations from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Accountant-General of the Federation, and Auditor-General for the Federation, within the limits of their respective mandates. The organisation said the officials should explain what was known about the existence and operations of the affected entities, when such information became available, the oversight mechanisms that were in place, and the actions taken. It added that where investigations established negligence, dereliction of duty, abuse of office, complicity, or other wrongdoing, the responsible officials should face appropriate administrative and legal consequences. “No public office should serve as a shield against accountability,” the group said. However, CDHR stressed that allegations must be properly investigated and that no individual should be declared guilty before the conclusion of due process and judicial determination where prosecution was involved. The organisation said the discovery provided an opportunity for the federal government to undertake a much-needed institutional cleansing of the public service. It called for a comprehensive audit of MDAs and government-funded entities, covering their legal status, mandates, funding arrangements, staffing structures, and physical operations. According to the group, any entity found to be fraudulent or illegally constituted should be shut down immediately, while legitimate agencies with overlapping or duplicated mandates should be reviewed. It also urged the government to strengthen mechanisms for authenticating government institutions and prevent individuals from exploiting the name and authority of government to defraud citizens or gain access to public resources. “Nigeria cannot afford a public service in which fictitious institutions can emerge, operate and potentially consume public resources without detection,” CDHR said. The organisation consequently demanded a comprehensive investigation into all discovered fake and counterfeit agencies; identification and prosecution, in accordance with the law, of those responsible and their collaborators, where culpability was established; and a wider audit of MDAs and government-funded entities. It also called for stronger National Assembly oversight, full accountability from relevant senior government officials, recovery of public funds and assets obtained or diverted through fraudulent entities, and administrative sanctions or prosecution, where warranted, against officials whose negligence, complicity, or abuse of office was established. CDHR further demanded institutional reforms to ensure that fake agencies could not be established and sustained undetected in the future. The group stressed that the exercise should not become a witch-hunt or political persecution. The statement added, “CDHR reiterates that the objective must not be a witch-hunt or political persecution. The objective must be truth, accountability, justice and institutional reform.” The organisation maintained that Nigerians deserved a government whose institutions were genuine, accountable, and subject to effective oversight. It urged the federal government to act decisively, saying the public deserves to know “who created these agencies, who enabled them, who benefited from them, how long they operated, what resources they consumed and what measures are being taken to ensure that such fraud never happens again”.