President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing the body as fictitious and unknown to the Federal Government.
The directive, issued on Tuesday, requires the anti-corruption agency to conclude its investigation and submit a comprehensive report to the President within 30 days.
According to a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the investigation follows the discovery that the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal basis under any law, presidential directive, executive approval or other lawful government instrument.
The Presidency alleged that Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the purported council and claimed to be a presidential appointee.
The ICPC has been mandated to investigate allegations relating to forged appointment letters and other official government documents, the use of false claims of presidential appointment to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, as well as the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.
President Tinubu also directed the commission to investigate not only the activities of the principal suspect and any collaborators but also the broader circumstances that may have enabled the fictitious body to acquire an appearance of official legitimacy.
The probe will examine the origin and use of the alleged forged official documents, the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been sought or obtained, the establishment and operation of related bank accounts, the source and movement of funds linked to the scheme, and the roles of any public officials, private individuals, financial institutions or intermediaries who may have facilitated the alleged activities.
The President further instructed the ICPC to identify any institutional or procedural weaknesses within government that may have been exploited and recommend immediate measures to prevent similar occurrences.
To support the investigation, all federal ministries, departments and agencies have been directed to cooperate fully with the commission by providing relevant records, information and assistance upon lawful request.
Tinubu stressed that the integrity of the Presidency and other government institutions must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and exploitation of weaknesses within the public service.
He also directed that anyone found culpable at the conclusion of the investigation should be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.
