The House of Representatives committee investigating the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has directed the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to produce the council's self-proclaimed Director-General, Adeyemi Adeniyi, before it by noon on Wednesday. The directive was issued on Monday during the committee's resumed investigative hearing at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Police Representative Instructed to Ensure Appearance
Bashir Abdullahi, an assistant commissioner of police representing the IGP at the hearing, was instructed to ensure Mr Adeniyi's appearance. The committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), is probing how the PFIPC allegedly secured office space at Phase III of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and obtained a ₦1.32 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act, despite not being legally established as a government agency.
Investigation Tied to Criminal Probe
The investigation is linked to a criminal probe by the police following petitions from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. The petitions allegedly accuse Mr Adeniyi of falsely presenting himself as the director-general of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC. Mr Gagdi emphasized the need for Mr Adeniyi's direct testimony to clarify documents and allegations.
"This committee clearly needs the suspected DG to appear before this committee. People's names are involved. People's integrity is involved. Institutional names are involved. Institutional integrity is involved," Mr Gagdi said. "It is not an option now. We will need him here to confirm some documents for us in such a way that will not undermine our investigation to enable us to submit our report on time."
Committee's Ruling and Police Confirmation
The committee directed its clerk to formally communicate the resolution to the Inspector-General of Police. "The committee hereby resolves that the Inspector-General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria do kindly present Mr Adeyemi on Wednesday by 12 noon. That is the ruling of the committee," Mr Gagdi declared.
Earlier, Mr Abdullahi informed lawmakers that the police had already investigated part of the allegations and filed an eight-count charge against Mr Adeniyi before the Federal High Court. "The Nigerian Police Force investigated part of this case late last year and filed eight-count charges before a Federal High Court. The case is ongoing," he said. He also confirmed that the suspect had been arrested and arraigned.
Police Caution on Disclosing Details
The police representative cautioned the committee against requiring the force to disclose details that could compromise the ongoing criminal investigation or prejudice court proceedings. "We don't want to say things that are under investigation. It is definitely going to prejudice the ongoing investigation and make people have opinions that may prejudge the outcome of an investigation or judicial decision," he said.
Despite the caution, the committee sought confirmation of specific documents and facts already in its possession. Mr Abdullahi confirmed that the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President had, on 17 October 2025, petitioned security agencies over allegations involving Mr Adeniyi. The police also confirmed receiving another petition alleging that Mr Adeniyi falsely claimed to be the director-general of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC.
Allegations and Forgery Concerns
According to allegations presented before the committee, Mr Adeniyi purportedly used the office to seek accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, pursued approval to recruit about 300 personnel, sought a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 budget for the alleged agency, and planned to organise a World Investment Summit under the platform of the purported council.
During the hearing, the committee compared signatures on documents allegedly issued by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President with signatures on authentic correspondence obtained by the police. Asked whether the signatures matched, Mr Abdullahi replied: "They are not the same." This heightened concerns over alleged forgery of official documents.
Widespread Document Forgery Suspected
Mr Gagdi said the investigation appeared to go beyond a single allegedly forged letter. "So, it is not only a letter that was suspected to be forged?" he asked. "We are dealing with documents that include what is said to be a forged Act of the National Assembly in an attempt to establish a fake agency." He added that investigators had identified about 29 documents suspected of being forged, including purported approvals and official correspondence attributed to the State House, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Ministry of Finance, and other government institutions.
Mr Gagdi noted that representatives of some affected institutions had appeared before the committee and disowned documents attributed to their offices. He said the committee had avoided pressuring the police to disclose sensitive information that could interfere with its criminal investigation. "We are avoiding a situation whereby they will be pushed to make statements that will undermine their ongoing investigation," he said.
Independent Investigation Continues
The lawmaker stated that the House committee would continue its investigation independently of the police case. He added that the committee's final report could recommend further action by relevant security agencies based on its findings.
