ABUJA – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a body the Presidency insists was never created or recognised by the Federal Government.
The President instructed the anti-corruption agency to conclude its investigation and submit a detailed report within 30 days.
The directive was announced on Tuesday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who explained that the investigation followed the discovery of what the Presidency described as a fictitious government agency operating under forged official documents and false claims of presidential approval.
According to the statement, Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate every aspect of the alleged fraud surrounding the PFIPC, including the activities of Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who presented himself as the Director-General of the council while allegedly claiming to have been appointed by the President.
The Presidency maintained that the council has no legal foundation, was never established through any executive order or legislation, and does not exist within the structure of the Federal Government.
Investigators have been tasked with determining how forged appointment letters and other official documents were produced and used to give legitimacy to the council’s operations.
The investigation will also examine allegations that the suspect used the false presidential appointment to seek diplomatic recognition, facilitate visa applications and conduct official engagements under the guise of representing the Federal Government.
President Tinubu also instructed the ICPC to scrutinise the opening and operation of several bank accounts allegedly established in the names of government agencies using forged documents.
The commission is expected to trace the movement of funds connected to the alleged scheme, identify their sources and determine whether any public officials, financial institutions, intermediaries or private individuals knowingly assisted the operation.
The Presidency further directed investigators to uncover weaknesses within government institutions that may have enabled the fraudulent organisation to operate with apparent official recognition.
Relevant ministries, departments and agencies have been ordered to cooperate fully with the ICPC by providing all documents, records and information required to ensure a swift investigation.
According to the President, the integrity of the Presidency and government institutions must be protected against forgery, impersonation and abuse of official identity.
He stressed that anyone found culpable should face the full weight of the law.
The presidential directive follows weeks of intense public debate after revelations that the purported council allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, interacted with diplomatic missions and even appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budget allocation of N1.3 billion.
These discoveries sparked widespread criticism from legal practitioners, civil society organisations and opposition politicians, many of whom questioned how an agency the Presidency says never existed could receive government funding.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), who represents Adeyemi, previously called for an independent investigation into both his client and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, after questions emerged over the controversial appointment letter.
However, the Presidency has consistently denied any connection between Gbajabiamila and the alleged scheme.
According to Onanuga, police forensic experts examined the signature appearing on the disputed appointment letter and concluded that it had been forged.
He stated that investigators found all the documents allegedly used by the suspect to be fake before criminal charges were filed.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has released the father of the suspect after detaining and questioning him over his son’s whereabouts.
Residents familiar with the incident said officers interrogated the elderly man extensively before allowing him to return home.
According to neighbours, investigators also collected the contact list stored on his mobile phone during the questioning.
The arrest drew criticism from Falana, who argued that security agencies should not intimidate or harass family members of criminal suspects.
The senior lawyer insisted that his client has never attempted to evade justice and has consistently appeared before the court whenever required.
Falana noted that Adeyemi had already honoured four previous court appearances and remained committed to defending himself during the next hearing scheduled for July 27.
He argued that arresting the suspect’s father served no legitimate investigative purpose since the matter is already before the court.
Police investigations into the matter began in October 2025 following allegations of forgery, impersonation and the unlawful use of official government documents.
Investigators reportedly discovered that official-looking letterheads bearing the name of the council were used to communicate with government institutions, while the organisation allegedly received invitations from the House of Representatives during its operations.
Following the investigation, the police filed multiple charges against Adeyemi.
He is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on an eight-count charge involving conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
The Federal Government has listed Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and ten other witnesses who are expected to testify during the trial.
Also on Tuesday, the Senate distanced itself from the controversy surrounding the PFIPC and its controversial budget allocation.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said lawmakers had not received any formal petition requesting legislative intervention.
He explained that the matter is already before the court and therefore remains sub judice.
According to the senator, the dispute primarily concerns the executive arm of government and should be resolved through the ongoing investigation and judicial process.
Adaramodu also rejected suggestions that the National Assembly created the agency or inserted its budget into the Appropriation Act.
He argued that the legislature does not conduct background checks on every official appointed to lead ministries, departments and agencies.
The senator added that if the alleged Director-General had been among presidential nominees requiring Senate confirmation, lawmakers could have been directly involved.
Nevertheless, he stated that the Senate would examine the issue if any interested party or concerned Nigerian submits a formal petition requesting legislative action.
The controversy deepened after the discovery that the PFIPC received a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 national budget despite repeated statements from the Presidency that no such agency exists.
The revelation also raised questions about how the council allegedly secured public funding without appearing before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service to defend its proposed budget.
Further reports suggested that administrative lapses involving the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Budget Office and the National Assembly may have contributed to the processing of documents linked to the alleged fake agency.
There were also claims that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation processed official correspondence originating from the PFIPC months before the Presidency publicly denied knowledge of the organisation.
As the ICPC begins its investigation, attention is expected to focus on how the alleged fraudulent operation gained access to official government channels, secured public recognition and found its way into the national budget despite lacking any legal basis.
