On paper, the Nigerian Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) looked every bit like an official government agency.
It had funding, an office inside the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, which houses many government ministries, and a website bearing the government's stamp of authenticity. Few reasons existed to question its legitimacy.
Until it emerged that the agency did not officially exist.
The revelation has triggered wider scrutiny of government institutions, with a second organisation, the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office (NBDMNSPO), now also under investigation.
Here is how both agencies managed to operate under the radar.
A budget of $1 million
For years, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew walked Nigeria's government halls as the "Director-General" of the PFIPC.
The role of the agency was purportedly to attract foreign investment, aid and partnerships into Africa's most populous country.
It had what looked like a legitimate website, maintained a social media presence, and even won approval to hire more than 300 staff.
Adeyemi even met with government officials, including cabinet ministers, financial regulators, the head of Nigeria's anti-corruption agency and foreign diplomats.
So, after almost two years, what triggered the alarm bells?
Well, in 2025, officials from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council wrote to the presidency to complain about Adeyemi's activities, noting that his agency appeared to function at "cross-purposes" with it.
Then a few months later, Femi Gbajabiamila, the president's chief of staff, wrote to police alleging that his signature, along with official seals and reference numbers, had been forged by Adeyemi.
"The fake documents, bearing falsified signatures, reference/folio numbers, and seals, have been used to claim leadership appointments to non-existent entities, with particular reference to the PFIPC," Gbajabiamila wrote.
Local reports said Adeyemi claimed he was given the PFIPC director-general appointment letter by Gbajabiamila, who has denied knowing him.
"Politicians and members of the public who are weaponising Adeyemi's claim against the chief of staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative hook, line and sinker," the presidency said in a statement defending Gbajabiamila.
In a July 1, 2026 statement, the Nigerian presidency also claimed Adeyemi misled the country's accountant-general's office into opening 34 bank accounts for the PFIPC, including with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
When the 2026 national budget was signed into law, the PFIPC was included with an allocation of 1.3 billion naira ($1.3 million).
However, according to the police and the accountant-general's office, no government money was transferred into any of the bank accounts.
Following the revelation, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate and submit a comprehensive report.
The report, published on August 8, found Adeyemi was never appointed by "any authority of government" and that he should be prosecuted.
It stressed that the investigation was still ongoing, particularly to identify other persons who may have participated in or facilitated the alleged scheme.
What about the other fake agency?
There is little information on the NBDMNSPO.
That is because its discovery as a fake agency was only recently announced by the ICPC.
However, the ICPC did reveal the NBDMNSPO was spearheaded by George Buchi Nwabueze, who allegedly operated with the assistance of suspected collaborators within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
It said the investigation found that Nwabueze used four variations of his name while running the illegal operation.
Musa Adamu Aliyu, the head of the ICPC, did not say whether Nwabueze had profited from the scheme before it was uncovered.
On the NBDMNSPO website's "vision and mission page", it says the agency's purpose is "Transforming The National From A Resource Dependent Nation Into A Vibrant Hub of Production Oriented Manufacturing Country".
What were they charged with?
Adeyemi was charged with eight offences, including forgery and impersonation.
After failing to appear at a hearing to face the charges, the Federal High Court issued a warrant for Adeyemi.
After weeks in hiding fearing his safety, he was arrested in Osun State in south-western Nigeria.
Adeyemi has maintained his innocence in interviews with local media.
Two of his accomplices have also been charged.
