Nigeria’s president has ordered a corruption investigation into allegations that a fictitious government agency was created in his own office with $950,000 (£700,000) in government funding.
According to the president, the letter from the chief of staff of the president on the creation of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) was falsified.
Police have launched a manhunt for Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who identified himself as the “CEO of PFIPC”, on suspicion of forgery, impersonation and related offences.
Before fleeing, Adeyemi told local media that he was innocent and now feared for his life.
He also promised to appear in court to clear his name, saying the body was legally identified. He accused senior government officials of extorting bribes during his appointment process and then trying to seize control of council funds. The president denied these accusations.
Adeyemi said the council was established in 2024 with the aim of attracting foreign investment to Nigeria, but there is no record of any deal.
There are three people on staff who have been questioned by police.
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to conduct an investigation and submit a detailed report within 30 days.
BBC News Pidgin discovered that the agency had reserved office space at the Federal Secretariat – the huge government complex that houses many of Nigeria’s ministries in the capital Abuja – opened bank accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria and appeared in the 2026 Appropriations Act with an allocation of 1.3 billion naira ($950,000; £700,000).
However, the General Accounting Office says PFIPC never had a transaction account with the central bank and did not receive any government funds or salaries.
The President said police forensic testing has confirmed that the signature of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on the controversial appointment letter was forged.
According to the charges filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Adeyemi and two other defendants are accused of using forged official documents to create and operate the purported council, opening several bank accounts in his name and seeking official recognition of an agency that the government claims does not exist.
Tinubu has tasked the ICPC to investigate various allegations, including:
Fake appointment letters and official government documents;
Using false statements to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation;
Opening multiple bank accounts using allegedly forged documents and
The role of any government official, private individual, financial institution or intermediary who may have facilitated the alleged scheme.
The president also ordered investigators to look into the broader circumstances that allowed the alleged fictitious organization to gain a veneer of official legitimacy and to identify weaknesses in government procedures that were said to have been exploited.
The scandal has led to increased public pressure from civil society organizations, opposition politicians and senior lawyers demanding an independent investigation.
Tinubu said the integrity of the presidency and federal institutions “must be protected from impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and exploitation of weaknesses in the public service.”
“All persons found guilty should be treated strictly in accordance with applicable law,” the presidential statement said.
Additional reporting by Adesola Abisoye in Lagos