President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), directing the anti-graft agency to submit a comprehensive report within 30 days as fresh claims emerge from the man who presented himself as the council’s Director-General.
The directive follows weeks of controversy over the purported council, which the Presidency insists was never created by the Federal Government despite allegedly appearing in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a ₦1.3 billion allocation and reportedly operating from the Federal Secretariat Complex.
Hours after the Presidency announced the investigation on Tuesday, Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to have served as Director-General of the council, declared his readiness to cooperate fully with investigators.
READ ALSO
Speaking during an Instagram interview with social media personality VeryDarkMan, Adeyemi said he would voluntarily submit documents in his possession to the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force or any investigative panel constituted by President Tinubu.
“I am willing and ready to help security agencies or any panel set up by Mr President to unravel the truth,” he said.
He added that investigators should authenticate every document he intends to submit, insisting that the materials would help establish how the controversial agency emerged.
Adeyemi questioned how an organisation now described by the Presidency as fictitious allegedly secured a place in the national budget.
“When the Presidency said the agency does not exist, I wondered how an agency that found its way into the national budget could suddenly be described as fake,” he said.
He also maintained that he was detained for 23 days during the preparation of the budget and therefore could not have influenced its inclusion.
Responding to allegations involving the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Adeyemi refrained from making further accusations, saying only an independent investigation could establish responsibility.
“I wouldn’t say he is lying, and I wouldn’t say he is telling the truth. That is why I requested that Mr President set up an investigative panel,” he said.
Adeyemi further alleged that he survived an attack by gunmen near Zuma Rock in September 2025 and insisted that his involvement with the council was motivated by a desire to attract foreign investment into Nigeria.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency described the PFIPC as a fictitious body with no legal foundation, executive approval, presidential instrument or enabling legislation.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi falsely presented himself as a presidential appointee while allegedly using forged appointment letters and official government documents to seek recognition from government institutions and diplomatic missions.
President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the authenticity of the appointment documents, the alleged opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of government agencies, visa facilitation requests, financial transactions linked to the scheme and the possible involvement of public officials, financial institutions, intermediaries and other collaborators.
The President also instructed investigators to determine whether weaknesses within government institutions enabled the alleged fraud and to recommend safeguards to prevent similar occurrences.
All ministries, departments and agencies have been directed to provide relevant records and assistance to the ICPC to ensure a speedy investigation.
The controversy has generated widespread public debate after reports indicated that the council allegedly appeared in the 2026 budget despite repeated denials by the Presidency that it ever existed.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, counsel to Adeyemi, has also questioned how the council allegedly found its way into the Appropriation Act if the appointment documents were indeed forged. He has called for a comprehensive investigation covering all individuals connected to the matter.
The Presidency, however, maintains that forensic analysis conducted by the Nigeria Police confirmed that the signature on Adeyemi’s alleged appointment letter was forged and insists that anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law.
