.....State House says police investigation uncovered elaborate fraud involving fictitious government agencies, forged documents, multiple bank accounts, and impersonation as accused faces trial.
The Presidency has released a detailed account of what it described as an elaborate scheme by a suspected impostor, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly posed as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, later referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, using forged appointment documents and fake government credentials.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the State House said the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President first uncovered the alleged fraud following complaints from officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), who raised concerns about another purported government agency operating in a manner that conflicted with its statutory responsibilities.
According to the Presidency, the Chief of Staff, on October 17, 2025, formally petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, requesting an investigation into what he described as the activities of fraudsters and impostors forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The petition alleged that forged documents bearing falsified signatures, seals and reference numbers had been used to confer leadership positions in non-existent government entities, particularly the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The Presidency stated that Adeyemi allegedly established an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he reportedly presented the organisation as a legitimate federal agency, hosted meetings involving Nigerians and foreign nationals, and even sought diplomatic assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visa applications for members of the purported council.
According to the statement, the petition submitted by the Chief of Staff included copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, correspondence requesting a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and photographs of official engagements obtained from the council's website.
The controversy, the Presidency said, had already attracted the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before the petition was submitted.
It disclosed that on October 15, 2025, the ministry wrote to both the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Office of the Chief of Staff seeking clarification over the status of Adeyemi's organisation after he reportedly convened a meeting of ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja without the ministry's knowledge or approval.
The ministry reportedly described the meeting as a violation of established diplomatic procedures.
Following the inquiry, the Office of the National Security Adviser referred the matter to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which subsequently sought clarification from the Chief of Staff after receiving several enquiries from government and non-governmental organisations regarding Adeyemi's claimed appointment.
The Presidency said the Chief of Staff categorically denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi or recognising the purported agency.
It further explained that appointments into federal government positions are processed exclusively through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and not by the Chief of Staff.
In a letter dated November 5, 2025, the Chief of Staff reportedly reiterated that neither Adeyemi nor the so-called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council was known to his office, describing the appointment letter circulating in the public domain as fake.
Meanwhile, police investigations had already commenced.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi was arrested on October 27, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat office from where he allegedly operated the fraudulent organisation.
Searches conducted at both the office and his residence in Suleja reportedly yielded documents and exhibits which investigators considered significant to the case.
The statement said Adeyemi informed investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the forged appointment letter.
However, police investigations reportedly established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025, five days before Adeyemi's arrest.
The Presidency said police officers confirmed Tanimola's death after visiting the morgue where his remains were deposited.
According to the investigation, police concluded that the agencies headed by Adeyemi were entirely fictitious and that he allegedly forged appointment letters and other official documents to present himself as a presidential appointee.
Investigators also alleged that he fraudulently requested diplomatic documentation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for himself and members of the purported agency.
The police reportedly uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine accounts allegedly opened in the names of fictitious organisations such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency/Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP) and under the purported FCT Investment Promotion Act.
The Presidency further alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to fraudulently secure the opening of an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
However, investigators reportedly established that no government funds had been deposited into the account.
The police concluded that the suspect's actions amounted to criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, conduct they said brought the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency into disrepute both locally and internationally.
Following the investigation, police filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices.
The case has been scheduled for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency also alleged that despite being granted police bail, Adeyemi recently renewed claims that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff, assertions it said contradicted the statement he made to investigators during interrogation.
The renewed claims prompted the Chief of Staff to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, 2026, reaffirming that Adeyemi was not a government appointee and describing him as an impostor.
Beyond the current allegations, the Presidency also referenced an earlier controversy involving Adeyemi.
It claimed that in 2016 he presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he described as an affiliate of the United Nations after allegedly being elected in New Delhi, India.
According to the statement, the claim was later discredited after the United Nations denied the existence of such an affiliated organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to avoid drawing conclusions based on Adeyemi's allegations, stressing that the matter is already before the court.
It advised all parties to allow the judicial process to run its course and await the outcome of the trial before making further public pronouncements on the case.
