President Bola Tinubu has ordered the arrest of the promoter of a fictitious government agency and suspended three Permanent Secretaries following an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The directive comes after the ICPC uncovered the “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC), which the Federal Government said was never established by law.
According to the Presidency, one Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew had been presenting himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and also claiming to head a “Presidential Economic Advisory Council.” The government stated the bodies had no legal backing, presidential instrument, or executive approval. On July 7, 2026, Tinubu directed the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive investigation and submit a report within 30 days.
Investigations found the fake agency had secured office space in the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, opened bank accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and was listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of N1.3 billion, about $950,000. The ICPC was also asked to probe the use of forged appointment letters, false claims to obtain diplomatic support and visa facilitation, and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the name of purported government agencies.
The ICPC submitted an interim report with three recommendations: prosecution of Adeyemi Matthew, administrative sanctions against public officers whose actions enabled the fake agency, and institutional reforms to strengthen controls. Matthew is already facing an eight-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja for conspiracy, forgery and impersonation, and was rearrested in July after breaching bail conditions. Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila also appeared before the ICPC to volunteer information and has filed a N15bn defamation suit over claims linking him to the appointment.
President Tinubu said the integrity of the Presidency and federal institutions must be protected against impersonation and forgery, and directed all MDAs to provide the ICPC with necessary information. The House of Representatives has also launched a separate probe into how the fictitious agency secured budgetary allocation.
