ABUJA: Fresh documents have raised new questions over the Presidency’s insistence that the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) never existed, revealing that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) officially processed correspondence submitted in the agency’s name months before it was publicly disowned.
The documents indicate that the SGF’s office acknowledged and forwarded a request for office accommodation submitted by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
According to the records, the request, dated November 7, 2024, was received by the SGF’s office on November 12 before being forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 21, 2024.
The forwarding letter, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, on behalf of the SGF, asked the anti-graft agency to consider office accommodation requests from three government institutions, including the PFIPC.
In the accompanying letter, Adeyemi described the PFIPC as a Federal Government agency established to attract foreign direct investment into Nigeria.
He claimed the council served as a one-stop investment centre responsible for coordinating investment-related activities across ministries, departments and agencies while promoting Nigeria as a preferred destination for investors.
The letter also stated that the council acted as a repository of investment information, facilitated engagement between the public and private sectors and supported both existing and prospective foreign investors.
The emergence of the documents has intensified scrutiny of the ongoing criminal case against Adeyemi, who is accused of forging official government documents and operating a fictitious government agency.
The Federal Government has filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects currently at large over allegations bordering on conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and related offences.
Among the prosecution’s witnesses is the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside 10 other witnesses, including officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Prosecutors alleged that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by Gbajabiamila before presenting himself as Director-General of the PFIPC.
Investigators also accused him of creating a fictitious government agency, opening dozens of bank accounts in its name and using forged presidential documents bearing official seals and reference numbers to give the organization legitimacy.
Police further alleged that Adeyemi held meetings with diplomats, wrote to government agencies and even sought diplomatic assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals he described as staff members of the council.
According to an interim investigation report by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, the case began after the Office of the Chief of Staff reported suspected forgery involving presidential appointment letters.
Following Adeyemi’s arrest in October 2025, investigators reportedly searched his office and residence in Suleja, Niger State, where they recovered documents allegedly linked to the operation of the purported agency.
Among the items recovered were appointment letters, official correspondence addressed to ministries and agencies, government letterheads and documents bearing presidential insignia.
Police also claimed Adeyemi informed investigators that a man identified as Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the appointment letter, but later discovered that the individual had died in a fire incident in Abuja.
A visit to the Federal Secretariat in Abuja reportedly found no trace of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
Security personnel and civil servants said they were unaware of any office belonging to the agency, while no signpost bearing its name could be found within the complex.
Checks also revealed that although the council previously operated a website under the Federal Government’s domain, the portal was no longer accessible, with available records suggesting it was last active in April 2025.
Reacting to the controversy, the Presidency said officials who allegedly helped Adeyemi operate the fictitious agency from within government institutions would be identified and prosecuted.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said investigators from the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and the EFCC had been directed to uncover any internal collaborators behind the alleged fraud.
According to him, dismantling the network that enabled the scheme is now a priority for the government.
Ajayi also accused Adeyemi of attempting to divert attention from the criminal allegations against him by dragging Gbajabiamila into the controversy.
He argued that while the case exposed weaknesses within government institutions, the same system eventually detected the alleged fraud and initiated investigations.
The controversy has continued to generate political and legal reactions.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana called for an independent investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), arguing that the Presidency lacked the constitutional authority to clear anyone connected to the matter.
Falana also questioned reports alleging that billions of naira were budgeted for the council and demanded explanations over claims that it maintained accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) called for an independent probe and urged the government to suspend Gbajabiamila to ensure a transparent investigation.
The opposition parties argued that if the PFIPC was truly non-existent, authorities must explain how it allegedly secured staff approvals, appeared in budget documents, corresponded with government institutions and engaged foreign diplomats.
Civil society organisations have also joined the calls for an independent investigation, urging President Bola Tinubu to direct the ICPC to examine all allegations surrounding the council’s finances, budgetary allocations and alleged bank accounts.
The groups warned that if no visible action is taken within days, they would stage a peaceful protest at the Presidential Villa, insisting that only a transparent investigation can restore public confidence in government institutions.
