Nigerian police have arrested Adeniyi Adeyemi, the alleged head of a fake government agency, following a manhunt initiated after President Bola Tinubu ordered a corruption investigation. Adeyemi is accused of using forged documents to establish and operate the purported Presidential Committee on National Economic and Investment Opportunities (PFIPC).
Details surrounding Adeyemi's arrest on Tuesday remain limited, but police confirmed operatives from the Force Intelligence Department and Intelligence Response Team were involved. He is expected to be taken to the police headquarters in Abuja for further questioning.
Police launched the manhunt for Adeyemi after allegations about the PFIPC surfaced last week. President Tinubu's office stated that an official-looking letter creating the agency was fake. Forensic analysis by the police confirmed that the signature of the president's chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on the disputed appointment letter had been forged, according to the presidency.
The scandal has prompted calls for an independent inquiry from civil society groups, opposition politicians, and senior lawyers.
Adeyemi had previously maintained his innocence in interviews with local media, expressing fears for his safety. However, he was absent from a court hearing on Tuesday. His lawyer, Genesis Francis, informed the court that he had been unable to persuade his client to attend, citing Adeyemi's safety concerns. The lawyer stated that Adeyemi had written an open letter to President Tinubu detailing these worries.
Adeyemi had claimed the PFIPC was established in 2024 to attract foreign investment to Nigeria, but no record of concluded deals has emerged. The BBC News Pidgin reported that the agency had secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, a large government complex in Abuja. It had also reportedly opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of 1.3 billion naira (approximately $950,000 USD or £700,000 GBP). However, the Accountant-General's Office stated that the PFIPC had never operated an account with the central bank and had not received any public funds or salaries.
According to court documents, Adeyemi and two others are accused of using forged official documents to establish and operate the council, opening multiple bank accounts in its name, and seeking official recognition for the non-existent agency. The case has captivated Nigeria since President Tinubu ordered the corruption investigation last week.