President Tinubu, Akume and Wike
The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has raised concerns regarding documents that allegedly named President Bola Tinubu and several senior government officials as members of the organization’s governing board.
During an investigative hearing on Thursday, Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi questioned Shehu Mohammed, Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), concerning the issuance of seven vehicle number plates to the PFIPC. Lawmakers questioned why the agency approved the plates despite apparent irregularities in the submitted documents.
Governing Board Discrepancies
Gagdi noted that the purported governing board included the President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and numerous other cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials. The committee chairman stated that the FRSC should have questioned documentation listing the nation's leadership as board members and scrutinized mandate papers that lacked official government security features.
Gagdi emphasized that the investigation aims to expose administrative leakages to help agencies close operational gaps rather than to indict individuals. He added that the unusual board composition and document quality should have prompted the FRSC to independently verify the organization's status with the Presidency prior to approval.
FRSC Defense and Verification Steps
In his defense, Mohammed stated that the agency followed standard operating procedures during the application process. He explained that the FRSC received the application on April 4, 2025, followed by a reminder on April 11, both signed by Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi.
The application included documents outlining the council's mandate, governing structure, and vehicle details. Mohammed noted that agency officials reviewed a website operating on a federal government domain and visited a physical office located at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. These factors created the impression that the PFIPC was a legitimate federal entity, leading the FRSC to verify the vehicle chassis numbers and approve the request.
Mohammed stated that the agency was subsequently surprised to discover the organization was unauthorized. The FRSC has since begun retrieving the issued number plates and strengthened its verification protocols.
Investigation Findings and ICPC Recommendations
The inquiry follows recommendations from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to prosecute Adeniyi, the individual accused of operating the PFIPC.
Adeniyi had previously claimed that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, issued his appointment letter—a claim Gbajabiamila denied. While the ICPC cleared the Presidency and the Central Bank of Nigeria of wrongdoing, it identified institutional lapses across several ministries, departments, and agencies, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the National Information Technology Development Agency.