How ‘fake’ agency fooled 36 states into WhatsApp group, fair preparations

The Anambra State government has revealed it was deceived by the fake federal agency recently uncovered by the ICPC within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, after being drawn into preparations to host a Made-in-Nigeria Fair scheduled for December 2026.

As reported by Vanguard, Anambra Secretary to the State Government Mrs Chiamaka Nnake said the governor received an official-looking letter in January 2026 from the purported Made-in-Nigeria Office requesting a state focal person nomination. She was subsequently nominated in February and joined a WhatsApp group of focal persons from all 36 states.

“More recently, the same office wrote to the State requesting that Anambra host the South East Made-in-Nigeria Fair,” Nnake said, adding that preparations were already underway before the ICPC exposed the agency as fraudulent.

The revelation suggests the phantom agency’s reach extended far beyond the SGF’s premises into active state-level government engagement nationwide.