Fresh documents have raised new questions over the Federal Government’s position on the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), following revelations that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation processed official correspondence linked to the agency months before it was publicly declared fictitious.
According to an exclusive report by Punch Newspapers, official records show that the SGF’s office received and acted on a request for office accommodation submitted in the name of the PFIPC in November 2024.
The request was reportedly submitted by the council’s self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is currently facing criminal charges over allegations of forgery, impersonation and operating a non-existent government agency.
Documents obtained by Saturday PUNCH showed that the request, dated November 7, 2024, was received by the SGF’s office on November 12 and later forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on November 21 for action.
The correspondence, signed by Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, identified the PFIPC as one of three institutions seeking office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties.
In his request, Adeyemi described the PFIPC as a Federal Government investment promotion body tasked with attracting foreign direct investment, coordinating investment-related activities across ministries and positioning Nigeria as a preferred destination for investors.
The latest development adds to ongoing controversy surrounding Adeyemi, who is accused of forging appointment documents allegedly bearing the signature of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Federal Government has listed Gbajabiamila and 10 others as witnesses in the criminal case before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Prosecutors allege Adeyemi and two other suspects, currently at large, created and operated the PFIPC using forged presidential documents and official insignia to gain legitimacy.
Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including accounts opened in the names of supposed government agencies, and held meetings with diplomats under the PFIPC banner.
The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC never legally existed. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga recently described the agency as fictitious and defended the government’s position.
However, the newly surfaced documents have intensified public scrutiny, with opposition parties, civil society groups and legal experts demanding an independent investigation into how the agency allegedly secured official recognition, staff approvals and budgetary allocations.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called for an independent probe into allegations surrounding both Adeyemi and officials linked to the matter, including claims involving accounts allegedly opened with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Presidency has also vowed to investigate internal collaborators who may have enabled Adeyemi’s activities across government institutions. Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi said security agencies, including the EFCC, DSS and police, had been tasked with uncovering the full extent of the alleged network.
The controversy continues to generate questions about oversight failures within government institutions and how the alleged scheme operated for months before being exposed.
