From Victor Osula, Abuja
The House of Representatives’ investigation into the alleged operation of a fake presidential council took a dramatic turn on Monday after lawmakers uncovered what they described as a trail of 29 suspected forged government documents, prompting an order directing the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to produce the alleged mastermind, Adeniyi Adeyemi, before the committee on Wednesday.
The latest development came as the Nigeria Police Force confirmed that Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as Director-General of the purported Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), is already standing trial before the Federal High Court on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.
The Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, said hearing directly from the suspect had become essential as the investigation was no longer centred on one individual but on allegations that the identities and official documents of several federal institutions had been fraudulently exploited.
“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”, Gagdi said.
He ruled that the committee clerk should immediately write to the Inspector-General of Police to ensure Adeyemi is produced before lawmakers by noon on Wednesday.
Representing the IGP, Assistant Commissioner of Police Basir Abdullahi disclosed that the police investigation was triggered by a petition dated October 17, 2025, from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. He said investigations had since resulted in the filing of an eight-count charge 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.
Although he declined to disclose evidence that could affect the ongoing trial, Abdullahi confirmed that investigators received petitions alleging that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as Director-General of the two purported presidential councils.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly used the fictitious office to obtain accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, sought approval to recruit about 300 staff, attempted to secure a $1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Bill and initiated plans for a World Investment Summit under the platform of the purported council.
“We don’t want to say things that are under investigation because doing so may prejudice ongoing investigations or judicial proceedings”, the police officer told lawmakers.
One of the most revealing moments of the hearing came when the committee compared signatures on documents allegedly issued from the Office of the Chief of Staff with authentic correspondence supplied by the police.
Asked whether the signatures matched, the police witness replied: “They are not the same”.
The response reinforced lawmakers’ suspicion that official documents may have been forged to create the impression that the purported presidential council had presidential backing.
Committee member Rep. Paul Bassey Umoh said investigators were no longer dealing with isolated instances of document forgery.
“It is not only a letter that was suspected to be forged. 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”, Umoh said.
He disclosed that investigators had identified about 29 suspected forged documents, including purported approvals allegedly issued by the State House, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Ministry of Finance and several other federal institutions.
According to him, virtually all the affected institutions that had appeared before the committee had disowned the documents attributed to them.
Gagdi, however, stressed that the House would avoid compelling the police to disclose evidence capable of undermining ongoing criminal proceedings.
He maintained that the parliamentary inquiry would proceed alongside the police investigation and could recommend further action after the committee concludes its work.
The House of Representatives inaugurated the ad hoc committee after allegations emerged that individuals had established and operated the purported Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) and Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) without legal authority, allegedly using forged government approvals to gain legitimacy.
The scandal escalated after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned security agencies, leading to police investigations and the arraignment of Adeyemi Martin on criminal charges.
Since commencing its hearings, the committee has received testimony from several federal institutions, including the State House, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, all of which have denied issuing documents allegedly used to legitimise the councils.
With lawmakers now demanding the appearance of the detained suspect, the investigation is expected to enter a decisive phase as the House seeks to establish the full scope of what could become one of Nigeria’s most significant cases of alleged institutional impersonation, document forgery and abuse of government processes.
