Newly obtained official records have intensified scrutiny surrounding the PFIPC documents, revealing that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) processed official correspondence from the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) months before the Presidency publicly described the organisation as fictitious. The revelations have prompted renewed demands for an independent investigation into the agency’s activities and the role of public institutions that interacted with it.
According to documents obtained by Saturday PUNCH, the SGF’s office acknowledged and acted on a request submitted by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as Director-General of the PFIPC. The correspondence showed that Adeyemi requested office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A forwarding letter dated November 21, 2024, signed by Permanent Secretary Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri on behalf of the SGF, transmitted the request to the anti-graft agency after it had been received by the SGF’s office on November 12, 2024. The letter identified the PFIPC application among requests submitted by three government institutions seeking office space from recovered government properties.
In the accompanying correspondence dated November 7, 2024, Adeyemi described the PFIPC as a Federal Government investment promotion agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria.
He claimed the council functioned as a one-stop investment centre coordinating investment-related activities across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), promoting Nigeria as an investment destination and facilitating collaboration between the public and private sectors. The letter further stated that the council collected investment data, coordinated support for investors and worked to encourage foreign businesses to expand operations within Nigeria.
The PFIPC documents surfaced as criminal proceedings continue against Adeyemi. Federal prosecutors allege that he established a fictitious government agency, forged a presidential appointment letter purportedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and falsely represented himself as the agency’s Director-General.
Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including accounts reportedly opened in the names of government agencies, and conducted official engagements with diplomats and government institutions under the PFIPC banner. Despite these developments, the Presidency has maintained that the council never legally existed.
Court filings show that the Federal Government has listed Gbajabiamila and ten other witnesses in the criminal case. The eight-count charge includes allegations of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation involving Adeyemi and two other suspects who remain at large. Among those expected to testify are three officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Investigators alleged that forged presidential documents bearing official insignia, seals and reference numbers were used to create legitimacy for the purported agency. Police also claimed Adeyemi corresponded with several government institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requesting diplomatic support for visa processing on behalf of individuals presented as PFIPC staff.
Journalists who visited the Federal Secretariat in Abuja were unable to locate any office operating under the PFIPC name. Searches across several government buildings found no office signage or personnel linked to the organisation.
Security officials and civil servants interviewed during the visit also stated they had no knowledge of any PFIPC office within the complex. However, checks reportedly indicated that the agency previously operated a website under the Federal Government domain, pfipc.gov.ng, although the platform is no longer accessible. Open-source records suggested the website remained active until April 2025.
Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi said investigators from the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and the EFCC have been tasked with identifying internal collaborators who allegedly enabled the scheme.
According to Ajayi, the investigation will focus on dismantling any criminal network that may have assisted Adeyemi’s activities within government institutions. He argued that the suspect was attempting to exploit public concern over corruption by linking the Chief of Staff to the controversy, insisting that the same government system eventually detected and reported the alleged fraud.
Ajayi added that officials from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became suspicious after the PFIPC allegedly began performing functions similar to those of existing government agencies and engaging foreign diplomats without proper notification.
The release of the PFIPC documents has strengthened calls for an independent investigation. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) maintained that only the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should determine the facts surrounding the allegations, arguing that the Presidency lacks constitutional authority to clear anyone under investigation.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) renewed calls for Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to step aside pending an impartial investigation. Both parties questioned how an organisation described as fictitious allegedly secured budget allocations, recruitment approvals, official correspondence and banking arrangements.
A coalition of civil society organisations also called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the controversy. The coalition further urged the publication of investigation findings and warned that it would organise a peaceful protest at the Presidential Villa if no independent investigation begins within seven days.
The emergence of the PFIPC documents has added another layer to an already controversial case by showing that official correspondence involving the council was processed within government months before it was publicly disowned. As criminal proceedings continue against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, pressure is mounting on the Federal Government to provide clear explanations and allow an independent investigation into the roles of all institutions and officials connected to the matter.
