Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has narrated how his office engaged with the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, saying he was deceived into believing the organisation was a legitimate government agency.
Kalu made the disclosure on Wednesday during plenary at the House of Representatives while lawmakers considered issues surrounding the council and its self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
He said images of his meeting with Adeyemi had been widely circulated since the scandal emerged, creating the false impression that he had endorsed the organisation.
The Deputy Speaker explained that his office received a letter in May 2025 bearing the Presidency's letterhead and introducing the sender as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
According to him, the document also carried an address at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Central Business District, Abuja, making it appear authentic despite some aspects that raised suspicion.
Kalu said he instructed members of his staff to verify the claims before granting any request from the group.
He noted that the verification team returned with a report confirming that the organisation was operating from the stated address, prompting him to approve a meeting with its representatives.
"I was also a victim. My photograph has been displayed alongside that of the individual claiming to be the Director-General of the organisation," he told lawmakers.
He maintained that his office acted only after carrying out what it believed was due diligence, stressing that the physical presence of the organisation at the listed location contributed to the decision to receive its officials.
The revelation comes as authorities continue to investigate the controversial council, which the Presidency has described as an unauthorised body with no legal backing.
The controversy deepened after the organisation was found to have received a budgetary allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite the Federal Government's insistence that it neither established nor recognised the council, prompting President Bola Tinubu to direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the matter.
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