The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIFC) on Thursday questioned the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) over its decision to approve official government number plates for the organisation after receiving documents that listed President Bola Tinubu and several top government officials as members of its governing board.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, raised concerns during the appearance of FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, insisting that the contents of the documents alone should have prompted the Corps to carry out further verification with the Presidency before recognising the organisation.
According to documents examined by the committee, the purported council named President Tinubu as Chairman of its Governing Board, alongside the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Minister of Finance and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, and several other senior government officials.
Questioning the Corps Marshal, Gagdi wondered why the FRSC failed to detect what lawmakers described as obvious red flags before processing the request for official Federal Government number plates.
In his response, Mohammed admitted that the documents formed part of the application submitted to the Corps but maintained that officials believed they had complied with the agency’s standard verification procedures before granting the request.
He disclosed that following reports linking the organisation to alleged fraud, he immediately directed the Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Motor Vehicle Administration to review the entire registration process.
The review, he said, confirmed that the Corps had approved the application after satisfying itself that the prescribed procedures had been followed.
Mohammed explained that requests for official government number plates are processed only after applicants submit formal applications, supporting documents and make the required payments through the Federal Government’s REMITA platform. He added that newly established government agencies are also expected to provide documents establishing their legal existence before approval is granted.
According to him, the FRSC first received an application dated April 4, 2025, from the Office of the Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, later renamed the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council. The request, signed by Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, sought the allocation of official government number plates.
He said when the request was not immediately treated, another letter dated April 11, 2025, was submitted as a reminder, with both applications accompanied by documents outlining the council’s mandate, its legal basis and the vehicles intended for registration.
Mohammed further told lawmakers that Prince Adeyemi personally visited the FRSC Headquarters and introduced himself as the Director-General of the organisation.
As part of its verification process, the Corps examined the website referenced in the application, which carried a Federal Government domain and displayed information portraying the organisation as a legitimate government institution. The website also listed several prominent public office holders as members of its governing board.
He added that officials equally visited the office address provided at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where the organisation appeared to be operating, further reinforcing the belief that it was a genuine government agency.
Based on the outcome of those checks, Mohammed said the FRSC proceeded to issue official government number plates after physically inspecting the vehicles and confirming that their chassis numbers corresponded with the documents submitted.
The Corps Marshal, however, acknowledged that subsequent investigations revealed that the organisation was not an authorised Federal Government agency and that the claims made by its promoter were false.
He said the FRSC has since begun recovering all official number plates issued to the organisation and has tightened its internal verification procedures to prevent similar incidents.
Mohammed also maintained that all the vehicles presented for registration physically existed and that the Corps verified each chassis number before the registration process was completed.
The committee is expected to continue its investigation as lawmakers seek to determine how the alleged fake council gained recognition from government institutions and obtained official privileges reserved for legitimate Federal Government agencies.
