President Bola Tinubu has launched a sweeping crackdown on the alleged impersonation of the Presidency after the discovery of a fake presidential council that reportedly operated using forged government documents and false claims of presidential authority.
The President has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and submit its findings within 30 days.
The directive, contained in a statement issued Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the PFIPC as a fictitious organisation with no legal, constitutional or executive existence, despite allegedly presenting itself as an official arm of the Presidency.
At the centre of the alleged scheme is Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who reportedly posed as the Director-General of the non-existent council and claimed to be a presidential appointee.
According to the Presidency, investigators have been tasked not only with exposing those behind the alleged fraud but also determining how the group managed to create the appearance of official legitimacy.
The probe will examine the alleged use of forged presidential appointment letters and other official government documents, attempts to obtain diplomatic recognition and visa facilitation, and the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies.
President Tinubu also ordered the ICPC to identify everyone connected to the operation, including any public officials, financial institutions, intermediaries or private individuals who may have knowingly or unknowingly facilitated the activities of the fake council.
Beyond identifying suspects, the President wants investigators to establish how weaknesses within government systems may have been exploited.
The anti-graft agency has therefore been directed to recommend immediate institutional reforms to strengthen safeguards against forgery, impersonation, abuse of official identity and the creation of fraudulent government entities.
To facilitate the investigation, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been instructed to provide the ICPC with all relevant documents and records upon request.
The Presidency said the investigation must be concluded within 30 days.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to protecting the integrity of public institutions, Tinubu declared that the Presidency must not become a platform for fraudsters seeking to exploit the authority of government for personal gain.
He directed that all those found culpable at the end of the investigation be prosecuted in accordance with the law, stressing that no individual or group would be allowed to undermine the credibility of the nation’s highest office through forgery or impersonation.