President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch a comprehensive investigation into the activities of a fictitious body known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), ordering that the exercise be concluded within 30 days.
The directive, announced in press statement on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, followed the discovery that the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal backing, presidential approval, executive instrument or any other lawful basis.
According to the Presidency, an individual identified as Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew allegedly paraded himself as the Director-General of the purported council and falsely claimed to have been appointed by President Tinubu.
The President instructed the ICPC to investigate the alleged forgery of appointment letters and other official government documents, as well as claims that the suspect used the false presidential appointment to seek official recognition, diplomatic support and visa facilitation.
The anti-corruption agency is also expected to investigate the alleged opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using forged documents, alongside the movement and source of any funds connected with the scheme.
President Tinubu further directed the Commission to extend its investigation beyond the principal suspect to include all collaborators and any public officers, private individuals, financial institutions, intermediaries or other entities that may have facilitated or participated in the alleged fraud.
The investigation will also examine how the fictitious organisation was able to gain an appearance of official legitimacy and whether lapses within government institutions were exploited in the process.
To prevent a recurrence, the President instructed the ICPC to identify weaknesses in existing government procedures and recommend immediate corrective measures to strengthen institutional safeguards.
He also directed all ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government to cooperate fully with the Commission by providing all relevant records, information and assistance required for the timely completion of the investigation.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to accountability and the rule of law, President Tinubu stressed that the integrity of the Presidency and Federal Government institutions must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and other fraudulent activities.
The President added that anyone found culpable at the end of the investigation should be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law
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