A BBC investigation has raised questions about how an alleged fake government agency operated within Nigeria's public service and even secured funding in the national budget.
An alleged fake government agency that operated from Nigeria's Federal Secretariat, employed civil servants and even received funding in the country's national budget has sparked a major corruption investigation.
According to a BBC report, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) presented itself as a government agency responsible for attracting foreign investment into Nigeria. It operated from government offices in Abuja, used an official government website and was allocated 1.3 billion naira (about US$950,000) in Nigeria's 2026 national budget.
However, Nigeria's presidency later announced that the agency had never been legally established.
Officials say the organisation's apparent legitimacy was based on an allegedly forged appointment letter claiming President Bola Tinubu had appointed Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as its Director General. Authorities also allege the letter carried the forged signature of the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Adeyemi has denied the allegations, insisting the council was lawfully established. He has also accused senior government officials of demanding bribes and later attempting to seize the agency's funds, claims the presidency has rejected.
The case has raised wider concerns about how an organisation without legal backing allegedly managed to obtain government office space, civil servants, a budget allocation and approval to recruit more than 300 employees.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal told the BBC it would have been extremely difficult for such an agency to operate without assistance from officials inside government.
Transparency campaigners have also questioned how the agency appeared in the 2026 national budget despite not existing in previous years' budget documents.
President Tinubu has directed Nigeria's anti-corruption commission to investigate the matter and determine whether any public officials helped facilitate the alleged scheme.
The investigation is expected to examine not only the allegations against Adeyemi but also whether other government officials played a role in allowing the agency to operate.
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