NITR DG Under Fresh Scrutiny Over Alleged Age Falsification, Fraudulent Appointment, Financial Misconduct

Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR), Dr. Joachim Joseph Ajakaiye, has been accused of age falsification, securing his appointment through irregular means, and presiding over alleged financial misconduct involving hundreds of millions of naira.

Documents and testimonies from serving and retired officials have revealed an organic fraudulent practices of the DG.

The allegations, contained in internal documents and accounts obtained by 247Ureports.com, have prompted renewed calls for the Presidency, anti-corruption agencies, and the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ajakaiye’s appointment and continued stay in office.

At the centre of the controversy is an alleged discrepancy in Ajakaiye’s official age records.

According to a copy of the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research Staff Nominal Roll dated October 31, 2025, reviewed by 247Ureports.com, Ajakaiye’s date of birth is listed as July 8, 1953.

Under Nigeria’s Public Service Rules, civil servants are required to retire upon attaining 60 years of age or after 35 years in service, whichever comes first.

Institute insiders argue that if the official record accurately reflects his date of birth, Ajakaiye ought to have retired from public service years before assuming office as Director-General.

However, multiple sources alleged that he initially declared a different date of birth when he entered government service.

According to them, he reportedly claimed to have been born in 1963, only for official records to later reflect 1953 after he became Director-General.

A retired senior official of the institute described the situation as a serious breach of public service regulations.

“There is no provision in our Conditions of Service that allows a serving Research Director to move directly into the office of Director-General without first retiring from service,” the retired official said.

“Our former Director-General, Dr. Augustine Igwe, was removed because he failed to retire before taking up the appointment as Director-General. He was equally directed to refund over N30 million the government considered to have been earned unlawfully.”

The official claimed it was ironic that Ajakaiye allegedly participated in petitions that resulted in Igwe’s removal but now faces similar allegations.

“He joined the service with 1963 as his year of birth but later reverted to 1953 after becoming DG. If you calculate it properly, he ought to have retired several years ago. Every official action taken while occupying that office under those circumstances deserves scrutiny.”

Appointment Process Under Question

Serving officials also questioned the legitimacy of Ajakaiye’s appointment.

One senior employee alleged that the supervising ministry did not recommend him for appointment because of unresolved allegations involving forgery and financial misconduct.

“The ministry reportedly did not recommend him to the Presidency because there were allegations involving forgery of signatures belonging to former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, and former overseeing Director-General, Dr. F.N.C. Enwezor.”

The source further alleged that Ajakaiye was previously investigated over the alleged withdrawal of N391 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria through fraudulent documentation.

According to the official, the appointment eventually came through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation rather than through the supervising ministry.

“He allegedly secured the appointment through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The appointment did not follow the normal administrative route through the ministry,” the source alleged.

The official further claimed that Ajakaiye’s appointment letter was allegedly backdated to a period before he resigned from his substantive office as required under public service rules.

The controversy has also extended to Ajakaiye’s personnel records.

Officials alleged that unlike the files of other officers, his official personnel file is no longer available at the institute’s headquarters.

“If he is confident that everything is in order, he should publish his appointment letter and birth affidavit,” another source said.

“He previously sanctioned staff over allegations of age falsification but has declined to address similar concerns raised regarding his own records.”

The source further alleged that inconsistencies between Ajakaiye’s educational history and official records warrant independent verification.

Financial Transactions Raise Fresh Questions

Beyond the appointment controversy, insiders also raised concerns over several financial transactions processed under Ajakaiye’s leadership.

Documents reviewed by 247ureports.com indicate that investigators are being urged to scrutinise multiple payments processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

Among the transactions highlighted is a N415,000 payment reportedly approved as support for an Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) meeting at the Calabar Institute for Infectious Tropical Disease Research, Prevention and Control.

Sources questioned why the payment allegedly passed through intermediary accounts instead of being paid directly to beneficiaries.

“Many staff members still have bank tellers showing money passing through their personal accounts before being returned elsewhere,” one source alleged.

“During previous EFCC investigations, it was alleged that about nineteen staff accounts, including that of the Director-General’s official driver, were used to process public funds.”

The whistleblower also identified payments allegedly made into the account of one Bello Yakubu, including N98,400, N98,460, and N117,960, reportedly described as expenses for official visits to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Other transactions highlighted include an alleged duplicate payment of N577,500 linked to official visits to Abuja as well as additional claims amounting to N394,250, N514,500, another N394,250, and N335,000 allegedly processed for fuel and official travel.

According to insiders, several of the official destinations involved offices located within the same area of Abuja, raising questions about the amounts claimed.

The whistleblowers have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Presidency to conduct a comprehensive investigation.

They are demanding a forensic audit of Ajakaiye’s personnel records, appointment documents, financial approvals and all GIFMIS transactions linked to the institute.

As of the time of filing this report, Dr. Ajakaiye had not publicly responded to the allegations.

Efforts by 247Ureports to obtain his reaction were unsuccessful as he neither answered telephone calls nor responded to a text message seeking clarification on the discrepancies highlighted in the documents.

Attempts to obtain comments from the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation were also unsuccessful before publication.

Related