The Presidency has accused Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew of using forged government documents to mislead the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation into opening a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account for what it described as a fictitious government agency.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidency said Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
According to the statement, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President first raised the alarm after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council complained that another agency appeared to be operating at cross-purposes with it.
“The office of the Chief of Staff to the President first blew the whistle on the existence of the illegal agency, following complaints from officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council that another government agency appeared to be functioning at cross-purposes with it,” the presidency explained.
The Presidency said the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
According to the petition, the suspects used forged documents bearing falsified signatures, reference numbers, and official seals to claim appointments into non-existent government entities, particularly the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The statement alleged that Adeyemi operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he and his associates allegedly held meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian citizens while presenting themselves as officials of a legitimate government agency.
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It further claimed that the group sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for some of its members.
Describing the activities as criminal, the Chief of Staff said they undermined “the integrity of the presidency and the credibility of official government communication.”
The Presidency said the petition was accompanied by copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, a request for a note verbale, and photographs obtained from the agency’s website.
According to the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also raised concerns about the agency after Adeyemi reportedly met with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro on October 10, 2025, without involving the ministry.
The ministry subsequently wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Office of the Chief of Staff on October 15, seeking clarification on the status of the organisation.
According to the statement, the ministry said the meeting “contravenes extant rules and regulations guiding diplomatic practices globally.”
The Office of the National Security Adviser later forwarded the request to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which in turn sought clarification from the Chief of Staff.
The Presidency said the Chief of Staff consistently denied appointing Adeyemi or recognising the agency, stressing that appointments into government offices are the responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
It quoted the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, as saying, “Prince Adeniyi Matthew, director-general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office, nor do we have any dealings with the said council.”
The statement said the Chief of Staff also informed the OSGF that his office had directed security agencies to investigate the individual and the organisation.
According to the Presidency, police investigators arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat office where he allegedly operated the organisation.
The statement said officers searched both the office and his residence in Suleja, Niger State, recovering documents and other exhibits.
“The Police made the first move by responding to the chief of staff’s letter dated 17 October and began their investigation. On 27 October, Adeyemi was arrested in Abuja at the Secretariat office where he operated his elaborate scam.
“The police searched the office and Adeyemi’s home in Suleja, recovering vital documents and exhibits. In Adeyemi’s statement to the police, he claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the fake appointment letter. Following his claim, the police went after the said Tanimola. The Police found that Tanimola died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on 22 October, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest. Tanimola’s body was seen by the police at the morgue, confirming the death.
“The police were able to establish that the agency Adeyemi purportedly headed was fictitious, that he forged his appointment letter and the documents recovered in his office and home, that he falsely paraded himself as a government appointee, and that he falsely solicited a note verbal from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to enable him and his staff to obtain US visas. The police also found that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, with nine opened in the names of his fictitious agencies, known as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP), and the FCT Investment Promotion Act.
“The Police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the police, no government money has been transferred into the account,” Onanuga added.
Quoting the police investigation report, the Presidency said: “The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community.”
According to the statement, the police subsequently filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, against Adeyemi and two other suspects. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency said Adeyemi, while on police bail, recently claimed that he had been appointed by Gbajabiamila as Director-General of the agency, a position it said contradicted his earlier statement to investigators.
It added that the latest claim prompted the Chief of Staff to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, maintaining that Adeyemi is an impostor.
The statement further alleged that Adeyemi had previously misrepresented himself in 2016 as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, an organisation he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations, before the UN reportedly denied the existence of such a body.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s claims, noting that the matter is before the court.
“They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgement, as comments made today are sub judice,” the statement said.