Kalu: How I Was Tricked Into Meeting ‘Fake’ PFIPC DG With Forged Presidency Letter
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu says official-looking documents are no longer proof of legitimacy after he was deceived into receiving an impostor posing as Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC.
Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday during debate on a motion to investigate the activities of the alleged council, Kalu said he and other lawmakers were misled to believe PFIPC was a genuine government body.
“The Letter Looked Real”
Kalu explained that his office received a letter dated May 2, 2025 bearing the Presidency’s insignia.
“On the letterhead was the Office of the President. It listed two bodies under one DG — the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council,” he said.
The letter also carried an address at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase 3, 2nd Floor, Central Business District, Abuja, and a website: pfipc.gov.ng.
“Some of the information looked credible, some did not. It was confusing,” Kalu admitted.
To be sure, he said he sent his aides to verify the address. “They came back and confirmed the organisation was at that location. Based on that, I approved the meeting.”
Meeting Was Not What We Expected
According to the Deputy Speaker, the group requested discussions on the 10th House Constitution Amendment, economic governance, legislative priorities to boost investor confidence, and partnership with the National Assembly to attract foreign investment.
But the conversation went in a different direction.
“When they came, they did not talk about the Constitution we are amending. It was more about photo-taking,” Kalu said.
“It is quite embarrassing that people have the boldness to move around with what is not in existence, carrying themselves as if they are a legal entity.”
A Wake-Up Call on Forgery
Kalu warned that fraudsters are now using sophisticated forgeries to deceive public officials.
“This goes to show that a beautiful letterhead with the Presidency is no longer confirmation that an agency is legal. An address in the Federal Secretariat does not mean the agency is legal,” he stated.
He urged the House to support the investigation.
“It is our duty under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution to dig deeper into this matter. We must show Nigerians that we stand for transparency and accountability in governance,” he added.
How PFIPC Ended Up in the 2026 Budget
The alleged PFIPC came under scrutiny after it was listed as a beneficiary in the 2026 Appropriation Act, even though the Presidency has insisted the agency does not exist.
The controversy deepened when the National Assembly passed the budget with an allocation for the council, raising questions on how it got in.
Former Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has since petitioned security agencies over alleged impersonation of the Presidency and the use of fake documents.
Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man parading as PFIPC DG, was arrested and arraigned for forgery and impersonation. He denies the charges, insisting his documents were “legitimately obtained.”
President Bola Tinubu has now directed the ICPC to investigate how PFIPC was included in the budget and ordered that anyone found culpable be identified and prosecuted.
—
