ICPC Calls SGF Project Office Fake; Tinubu Orders IPPIS Audit

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has labelled the project office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) as fake, according to reports from TheCable and Punch Newspapers. The designation emerged in recent coverage of an investigation into the office’s status and activities.

In response to the broader scandal involving fake agencies, President Bola Tinubu has ordered a forensic audit of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), Premium Times Nigeria reports. The audit is intended to uncover irregularities linked to the existence and operation of unverified government bodies.

TheCable’s report, published on Saturday, 29 August 2026, highlights why the anti-corruption agency reached its conclusion about the SGF project office. Punch Newspapers also published an inside account of the ICPC’s reasoning, while Vanguard carried a rebuttal from Suleiman A. Suleiman, who criticised what he called misrepresentations of the investigation by Dr Abati. THISDAYLIVE separately ran an opinion piece on the broader menace of fake agencies in Nigeria.

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The dispute centres on whether the SGF project office was properly established and recognised within the government’s official structure. The ICPC’s finding has triggered wider scrutiny of how agencies are created and funded, with the presidential audit now expanding the probe beyond the single office.

Observers should watch for the outcome of the forensic audit, which could lead to further administrative reforms or sanctions against officials linked to unauthorised offices.