Fresh official documents have cast doubt on the Presidency’s assertion that the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) never existed.
The documents reveal that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) not only received correspondence from the council but also processed and forwarded its request for office accommodation months before the Presidency publicly described the agency as fictitious.
A letter dated November 21, 2024, and signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, on behalf of the SGF, showed that the office forwarded a request from the PFIPC to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for consideration.
The request, originally submitted by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who identified himself as the council’s Director-General, sought office space from recovered Federal Government properties.
Registry records indicated that the SGF’s office received Adeyemi’s letter on November 12, 2024, before forwarding it to the EFCC nine days later.
The forwarding letter, titled “Request for Office Accommodation,” informed the anti-graft agency that three government institutions had applied for office space from recovered government properties, with one of the applications coming from the PFIPC.
In his letter to the SGF, Adeyemi described the PFIPC as a Federal Government agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria. He claimed the council served as a one-stop investment centre coordinating investment-related activities across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) while promoting Nigeria as a preferred destination for investors.
He further stated that the council worked closely with government institutions to compile investment data, coordinate investor support and facilitate public-private sector collaboration.
According to the letter, the PFIPC’s vision was to position Nigeria as the world’s preferred investment destination by encouraging private sector investments capable of creating jobs and boosting economic prosperity.
Criminal Charges Against Adeyemi
The emergence of the documents comes amid the criminal prosecution of Adeyemi, who is accused of operating a fictitious government agency, forging presidential documents and falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
Authorities also alleged that he operated 34 bank accounts, including accounts purportedly opened in the names of government agencies, and conducted official engagements with diplomats under the PFIPC banner.
Earlier this week, the Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, insisted that the PFIPC never existed, describing it as a fictitious organisation allegedly created by Adeyemi.
FG Lists Gbajabiamila Among Witnesses
The Federal Government has filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects, identified as Femi and Anu, who remain at large.
The charges include conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency between 2024 and 2025.
Among the prosecution’s witnesses is the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside 10 others, including officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The charge alleges that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by Gbajabiamila.
Prosecutors also accused him of falsely presenting himself as Director-General of the PFIPC and using forged presidential documents bearing official seals and reference numbers to give legitimacy to the council.
Police Investigation
According to an interim report by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, investigations began after a petition from the Office of the Chief of Staff, which raised concerns over forged presidential appointment letters.
Investigators alleged that the forged documents contained fake signatures, official seals and reference numbers and were used to create leadership positions in the non-existent PFIPC.
Police further claimed Adeyemi held meetings with local and foreign officials, wrote to government ministries and even requested diplomatic assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for individuals presented as PFIPC staff.
He was reportedly arrested on October 27, 2025, after intelligence-led operations. During searches conducted at his office and residence in Suleja, Niger State, investigators said they recovered forged appointment letters, official letterheads and other documents bearing presidential insignia.
No Trace of PFIPC Office
A visit to the Federal Secretariat in Abuja reportedly found no office belonging to the PFIPC.
Security personnel and civil servants said they had no knowledge of the agency, while no signboard identifying the council was found within the complex.
Although investigators discovered that the council previously operated a website on the Federal Government’s domain, the website was no longer accessible. Open-source checks indicated the platform was last active in April 2025.
Presidency Seeks Wider Investigation
The Presidency has vowed to identify and prosecute government officials who may have aided Adeyemi’s activities.
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 tasked with uncovering internal collaborators.
Ajayi argued that while institutional weaknesses allowed the alleged fraud to continue for some time, government agencies eventually detected the irregularities after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns over the council’s activities.
Calls for Independent Probe
Despite the Presidency’s position, several groups and opposition parties have demanded an independent investigation.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi, while seeking clarification over allegations that billions of naira were budgeted for the purported agency and that it allegedly maintained accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and a coalition of civil society organisations also demanded an independent probe into the controversy.
The groups questioned how an agency now described as non-existent allegedly secured staff approvals, appeared in budget documents, interacted with government institutions and foreign diplomats, and reportedly operated official bank accounts.
They further urged the Federal Government to ensure a transparent investigation and warned that failure to initiate an independent probe could trigger nationwide protests.
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