How Police Uncovered Fictitious PFIPC—Document

An interim police investigation has revealed how operatives uncovered an alleged forgery and impersonation network built around a non-existent government agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) after receiving a petition from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

The document, titled Police Interim Investigation Report: Activities of Fraudsters/Imposters Forging Official Appointment Letters Purportedly from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, outlined how investigators uncovered alleged forged appointment letters and official documents used to portray the PFIPC as a legitimate Federal Government agency.

According to the report, the investigation began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025, over the activities of individuals allegedly producing fake appointment letters in the name of the office.

Police said preliminary findings showed that the forged documents carried fake signatures, reference numbers, official seals and the Nigerian Coat of Arms. The documents were allegedly used to appoint individuals into the PFIPC, which investigators said does not exist.

Investigators identified the main suspect as Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the council and operated from an office located within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.

The report stated that the suspect allegedly held meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals while presenting himself as the head of a government agency. He was also said to have written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting a Note Verbale to the United States Embassy to support visa applications for people described as council staff.

Police said Adeyemi was arrested on October 27, 2025, at the office where he allegedly carried out the activities.

Following the arrest, investigators executed search warrants at both the Federal Secretariat office and his residence in APC Quarters, Suleja, Niger State. During the searches, police recovered documents described as forged appointment letters, official letterheads, correspondence addressed to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and other materials considered relevant to the case.

In his statement to investigators, the suspect allegedly claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him obtain the appointment letter naming him Director-General of the PFIPC.

However, police said further investigations revealed that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Utako, Abuja, before the suspect was arrested.

The report stated that interviews with Tanimola’s sister, the hotel owner, officials at the National Hospital, Abuja, and St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Maitama supported the account of his death.

As part of the investigation, police contacted the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to obtain a certified true copy of the disputed appointment letter. Officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were also invited for questioning.

Three staff members reportedly posted from the Accountant-General’s office to the PFIPC office informed investigators that although they had been deployed there on August 28, 2025, they never carried out any official duties during their posting.

Financial investigations conducted with support from the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) allegedly showed that the suspect operated 34 active bank accounts across several commercial banks.

The report further alleged that nine of those accounts were opened in the names of organisations presented as government agencies. Investigators also claimed the suspect opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria through the Office of the Accountant-General under the name of the PFIPC.

Police concluded that the PFIPC is a fictitious organisation with no legal recognition or place within the structure of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to the report, the suspect allegedly used forged documents to impersonate a government appointee, communicate with MDAs and conduct official activities under the name of the non-existent agency.

Investigators stated that the alleged actions could amount to offences including forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

The report also identified two other suspects, known only as Femi and Anu, whose surnames remain unknown, and said they are currently at large.

Among its recommendations, the police advised that all 34 bank accounts linked to the suspect should be frozen pending prosecution. It also recommended that the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Accountant-General disable the account opened in the name of the PFIPC and that the case be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions after forensic examinations and additional witness statements are completed.

The report added that investigations are still ongoing, as detectives are awaiting the formal statement of the complainant’s representative and specimen signatures from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President for forensic analysis.

Meanwhile, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling for the establishment of an independent, multi-stakeholder investigative panel to examine the controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion budget insertion in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

In the letter dated July 13, 2026, Adeyemi praised the President for directing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the allegations, describing the directive as an important beginning.

He, however, argued that limiting the investigation to government agencies could affect public confidence and maintained that a broader and more independent panel would be more credible.

Adeyemi stated that he was not avoiding accountability but remained committed to justice, fairness and the rule of law.

He also argued that because the allegations involve institutions within the executive arm of government, investigations conducted only by agencies under the same administration could face questions about their independence.

The suspect further claimed that concerns over his personal safety had prevented him from surrendering to authorities. According to him, he received information suggesting that his life could be at risk if he appeared before security agencies without independent monitoring.

He said those concerns increased after the reported death of Dolapo Tanimola, whom he described as a central figure in the matter.

Adeyemi also questioned official accounts stating that Tanimola died in a fire at Kachi Hotel in Utako, Abuja, claiming there had been no independent public confirmation of the incident.

He further alleged that the hotel was later demolished by unidentified armed individuals, claiming the action destroyed evidence that could have assisted investigators.

The allegations contained in the letter have not been independently verified, and no government agency had publicly responded to the specific claims at the time of filing the report.

To improve transparency and public trust, Adeyemi urged President Tinubu to establish an independent panel comprising representatives of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), independent media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups, diplomatic missions, as well as the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) serving as technical partners.

He specifically proposed that organisations including Amnesty International, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund should be represented on the panel.

Adeyemi maintained that he is prepared to submit documents and cooperate fully with investigators once such an independent panel is established.

He said, “The moment this independent, multi-stakeholder panel is constituted, I will immediately step forward to present comprehensive documentation and verifiable evidence.”

He added that widening the scope of the investigation beyond existing government agencies would improve public confidence and strengthen accountability and transparency in governance.

The Presidency has not issued an official response to the requests contained in the open letter, while the ICPC investigation into the alleged budget insertion is still ongoing.