The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the activities of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) says it has uncovered at least 29 forged official documents linked to the fake agency and its self-proclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed this during an investigative hearing attended by the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.
According to Gagdi, the forged documents were purportedly issued by the State House, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Federal Ministry of Finance and other government institutions. One of the documents allegedly bore the forged signature of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The committee also summoned 13 civil servants from the OSGF, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to appear before it to explain their alleged roles in the operations of the purported agency.
Lawmakers further directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce Adeyemi before the committee by noon on Wednesday to clarify issues surrounding the documents under investigation.
Adeyemi has remained in police custody since his arrest in Osun State on July 15, following a bench warrant issued after he allegedly failed to appear in court over criminal charges filed against him by the police.
“This committee clearly needs the suspected DG to appear before it. People’s names, institutional integrity and official documents are involved. It is no longer optional,” Gagdi said.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi confirmed that several documents issued in the name of the purported council were fake.
He told lawmakers that the police had previously investigated aspects of the case and filed an eight-count charge against the suspect before the Federal High Court.
“The suspect has been arrested and arraigned. However, we cannot disclose details that may prejudice ongoing investigations and judicial proceedings,” Abdullahi stated.
The police also confirmed that on October 17, 2025, the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned security agencies over allegations against Adeyemi, leading to investigations into alleged conspiracy and fraud.
According to investigators, Adeyemi falsely presented himself as Director-General of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council. He allegedly used the non-existent office to obtain accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, seek approval to recruit about 300 staff, attempt to include about $1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Bill for the fake agency and plan a World Investment Summit.
During the hearing, lawmakers compared signatures on documents allegedly issued from the Office of the Chief of Staff with authentic records provided by the police. The police confirmed the signatures did not match, reinforcing allegations that official State House documents had been forged.
Gagdi said documentary evidence obtained from several government institutions contradicted documents attributed to the purported council, noting that many of the affected agencies had already disowned them.
Meanwhile, Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi told the committee that the Office of the Accountant-General acted strictly in line with established government procedures based on documents that appeared authentic.
He explained that the Treasury first received a State House letter in November 2024 requesting the creation of an administrative code for the council. Following standard procedures, code 0111062001 was created and communicated to the State House and the Budget Office.
Ogunjimi added that the council later requested self-accounting status, prompting Treasury officials to inspect its office at the Federal Secretariat. Following the inspection, only a six-month provisional approval was recommended because some requirements had not been met.
He further disclosed that two Treasury officers originally posted to the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President had been absorbed by the purported council without the Treasury’s knowledge. Although the council later requested five additional staff, only three were approved.
On the issue of bank accounts, Ogunjimi said the council requested a Treasury Single Account (TSA) and two domiciliary accounts for a proposed World Investment Summit. While the Central Bank approved the domiciliary accounts for inflows only, the TSA request was rejected, and the foreign currency accounts never became operational because the council failed to meet regulatory requirements.
The AGF also revealed that although the Ministry of Finance sought Treasury advice on a proposed take-off grant of N27.4 billion for the council, no allocation existed in the 2025 budget and no funds were approved or released.
He maintained that the Treasury acted in good faith based on official-looking documents and only discovered later that the documents had allegedly been forged.
The House committee said its investigation would continue independently and that its final report could recommend further action by relevant security agencies.
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