
How SGF Requested Office Space for Alleged Fake Agency, Documents Reveal
Official documents have reportedly raised fresh questions over the Federal Government’s position on the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), following revelations that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) processed a request for office accommodation on behalf of the agency months before it was publicly declared non-existent. The documents have intensified scrutiny of the unfolding controversy surrounding the alleged fake government agency and the activities of its purported Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
According to the documents, the Office of the SGF formally received, acknowledged and acted upon a request submitted in the name of the PFIPC. The correspondence was reportedly addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requesting office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties. The request was processed through the General Services Office within the SGF’s office and forwarded for what officials described as necessary action.
The records indicate that the request originated from Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who identified himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council. His letter, dated November 7, 2024, sought office accommodation for the council, while registry records showed it was received by the SGF’s office on November 12 before being forwarded to the EFCC on November 21, 2024. The forwarding correspondence was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office on behalf of the SGF.
In his application, Adeyemi reportedly described the PFIPC as a Federal Government agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria. He claimed the council served as a one-stop investment centre coordinating investment-related activities across ministries, departments and agencies while promoting Nigeria as a preferred investment destination. The letter further outlined what it described as the council’s vision, mission and operational responsibilities, presenting the organisation as an established government institution.
The emergence of these documents appears to contradict the Presidency’s recent position that the PFIPC never existed. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga had maintained that the council was a fictitious organisation allegedly created through forged documents. The Presidency stated that investigations by security agencies concluded that Adeyemi fraudulently presented himself as the Director-General of the council using forged presidential appointment letters and other fabricated official documents.
The Federal Government has since filed criminal charges against Adeyemi and two other suspects over allegations bordering on conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency. Prosecutors allege that forged presidential documents bearing official seals, signatures and reference numbers were used to give legitimacy to the council and facilitate its operations. Among the prosecution witnesses listed in the case is the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside several government officials.
Investigators also allege that Adeyemi conducted official engagements under the council’s name, operated numerous bank accounts linked to the organisation and wrote to several government institutions while presenting himself as a federal official. Police further claimed he sought diplomatic assistance through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals described as staff members of the council.
The latest disclosures have triggered renewed debate over how an organisation now described as fictitious was able to interact with multiple government institutions. Critics have questioned whether existing administrative procedures failed or whether deeper institutional lapses allowed the agency to gain official recognition. Some analysts and public figures have called for an independent investigation to determine how the council allegedly secured official correspondence, sought office accommodation and appeared in government processes before being declared non-existent.
As legal proceedings continue, the documents are expected to form part of the broader public debate surrounding the PFIPC controversy. While the Presidency maintains that the agency never legally existed and that forged documents were used to perpetrate fraud, the correspondence processed by the SGF’s office has raised new questions that investigators and the courts may ultimately be required to resolve.
