Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into allegations that a fake government agency worth $950,000 was set up in his own office. 

​Tinubu said a letter claiming he ordered the creation of a new government agency titled the “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” is a forgery, BBC News reported. According to Tinubu, forensic analysis proved that a signature purported to be from Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff, is fake.  

Abbreviated as PFIPC, the fake agency was created in 2024 and existed for two years before Tinubu ordered an investigation into an office he said does not exist. There are no records of any deals being done under the PFIPC agency.  

​The president’s statement said the Nigerian government “must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service.” Filed charges before a federal high court accused three PFIPC staff members of using forged official documents to establish the agency.

Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who listed himself as the “PFIPC director general,” is the main suspect in the investigation and is now in hiding following a police-led manhunt for him over suspicions of forgery and false impersonation.​

Before going into hiding, Matthew maintained his innocence and said the agency was legally established. He further accused government officials of demanding bribes and attempting to control the PFIPC funds, which Tinubu denies.  

​The agency had obtained office space within the Federal Secretariat, Nigeria’s hub of government and administrative offices in the country’s capital of Abuja. PFIPC also opened bank accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and even appeared in the country’s 2026 Appropriation Act.  

Various Nigerian opposition politicians, lawyers, and organizations have demanded an independent investigation into the matter. Tinubu has asked for a full report within 30 days.