An ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives investigating a fake government body has uncovered 58 bank accounts and an alleged ₦400m (£200,000) fraud linked to its head.
Presenting a preliminary report in Abuja on Wednesday, panel chairman Yusuf Gagdi revealed that Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi operated the network of accounts across at least nine pseudo-agencies, companies, and foundations under his control.
The investigation exposed the “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC) as a completely fraudulent setup with no legislative act, gazetted order, or presidential decree establishing its existence.
Fake appointments and forged documents
The committee found that Mr. Adeyemi allegedly used forged documents—including a fake presidential appointment letter and fabricated Acts of Parliament—to present the body as an official organ of state.
Investigators confirmed that the appointment letter did not originate from the State House and bore a forged signature of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. The panel explicitly exonerated Mr. Gbajabiamila, noting he had alerted security agencies after discovering the entity’s activities.
Despite its lack of legal standing, the fake council managed to secure office space inside the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, operate a website displaying photographs of President Bola Tinubu without authorization, and recruit 39 staff members—some of whom allegedly paid money for their job offers.
₦400m renovation scam under scrutiny
The panel highlighted a specific transaction involving ₦400m paid in four instalments by a private firm.
Mr. Adeyemi allegedly solicited the funds by claiming he could secure a government contract to renovate an official residence allocated to him as the council’s director-general.
The committee expressed serious concern over how an unrecognized entity managed to bypass administrative checks, secure official vehicle number plates, and gain inclusion in the federal budget framework.
“The Presidency cannot be impersonated with impunity,” Mr. Gagdi said, adding that security agencies—including the police, EFCC, and DSS—have been asked to freeze linked accounts and trace all assets.
The committee’s final report, including recommendations for criminal prosecution, will be laid before the House of Representatives when lawmakers return from their annual recess.
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