Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered a sweeping corruption investigation after allegations emerged that a non-existent government agency was created using forged presidential documents and allocated 1.3 billion naira (about US$950,000) in the country’s 2026 budget.
The Presidency says the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) was never legally established and that documents purporting to create the body, including a letter bearing the signature of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, were forged.
Police have launched a nationwide manhunt for Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly presented himself as the council’s Director General. He is wanted on suspicion of forgery, impersonation and related offences.
Before going into hiding, Adeyemi denied any wrongdoing, insisting the council had been lawfully constituted in 2024 to attract foreign investment into Nigeria.
He also claimed senior government officials demanded bribes during the appointment process before later attempting to seize control of the council’s finances. The Presidency has rejected those allegations.
President Tinubu has instructed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit a comprehensive report within 30 days.
The investigation will examine allegations involving forged appointment letters, falsified government documents, attempts to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support through false representations, and the opening of multiple bank accounts using allegedly forged paperwork.
Investigators have also been directed to establish whether any public officials, private individuals, financial institutions or intermediaries assisted in the alleged scheme.
According to the Presidency, forensic analysis by police confirmed that the signature attributed to Chief of Staff Gbajabiamila on the disputed appointment letter had been forged.
Despite the government’s insistence that the PFIPC does not exist, BBC News Pidgin found the organisation had obtained office space within Abuja’s Federal Secretariat, opened bank accounts linked to the Central Bank of Nigeria, and appeared in the country’s 2026 Appropriation Act with a budget allocation of 1.3 billion naira.
However, the Office of the Accountant-General said the council never operated an official account with the Central Bank and had not received any government funding or salary payments.
Court documents filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja accuse Adeyemi and two other defendants of using forged government documents to establish and operate the purported agency, open bank accounts in its name and seek official recognition for an organisation the government says was never authorised.
Tinubu has also ordered investigators to determine how the alleged fake agency managed to acquire the appearance of legitimacy and identify weaknesses in government systems that may have been exploited.
The scandal has triggered growing calls from civil society groups, opposition politicians and legal experts for an independent inquiry into the affair.
In a statement, Tinubu said the integrity of the Presidency and Nigeria’s public institutions “must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service.”
He added that anyone found responsible should face the full force of the law.
“All persons found culpable are to be treated strictly in accordance with applicable law,” the statement said.
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