President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the body as a fictitious organisation with no legal backing.
The directive, issued on Tuesday, mandates the anti-corruption agency to complete its investigation and submit a detailed report within 30 days.
The order was conveyed in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, who said the investigation followed the discovery that the so-called PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and has no basis in any law, presidential approval, executive instrument or official government action.
According to the Presidency, a man identified as Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew allegedly posed as the Director-General of the council, falsely claiming to have been appointed by President Tinubu.
The statement said the ICPC investigation would examine allegations surrounding forged appointment letters and official government documents, as well as the use of the fake presidential appointment to seek official recognition, diplomatic support and visa facilitation.
Investigators are also expected to probe the opening and operation of multiple bank accounts allegedly created in the names of non-existent government agencies using forged documents.
Beyond the principal suspect, the President directed the ICPC to uncover the full scope of the alleged scheme, including the roles played by collaborators, public officials, private individuals, financial institutions and intermediaries who may have knowingly or unknowingly facilitated the operation.
The Presidency said investigators would determine the origin and use of the forged government documents, examine how official recognition or diplomatic support may have been obtained, trace the source and movement of funds connected to the alleged activities, and identify any institutional lapses that enabled the fraud.
Tinubu also instructed the anti-graft agency to recommend measures that would strengthen government procedures and prevent similar cases of impersonation and document forgery in the future.
To ensure a thorough investigation, the President directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to provide the ICPC with every relevant document, record and assistance required during the probe.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to accountability, Tinubu stressed that the integrity of the Presidency and federal institutions must be protected from impersonation, forgery and abuse of official identity.
He further ordered that every individual found culpable at the conclusion of the investigation should face the full weight of the law in accordance with existing legal provisions.