Tinubu gives ICPC 30 days to investigate fake presidency council scandal

President Bola Tinubu has directed the ICPC to investigate the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and submit findings within 30 days. The organisation was never established by the Nigerian government and has no basis in any law or presidential approval.

According to a statement from presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the president ordered that all persons found culpable be treated strictly according to the law. The investigation will cover forged appointment letters, use of false claims to seek diplomatic support and visa facilitation, and the opening of multiple bank accounts using allegedly forged documents.

The police have already charged one Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who presented himself as the Director-General of the fake council, with eight counts bordering on forgery and impersonation. Each of the seven forgery charges carries up to 21 years imprisonment without an option of fine. How did a fictitious agency operate long enough to open bank accounts and seek diplomatic recognition before anyone noticed?