The Presidency has reaffirmed that one Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who has been parading himself as the Director-General of a so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council, is an impostor operating a fictitious government agency.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President first alerted security agencies after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns about another body allegedly operating in conflict with its mandate.
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The Chief of Staff, in a petition dated October 17, 2025, requested the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the activities of individuals forging official appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The petition revealed that forged documents bearing fake signatures, seals and reference numbers were being used to claim appointments to non-existent government entities, particularly the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
According to the statement, Adeyemi allegedly operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he hosted meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals while presenting himself as the head of the fake agency. He also reportedly sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for himself and members of his organisation.
The Presidency described the actions as a serious criminal act capable of undermining the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communications.
The statement further disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had, on October 15, 2025, written to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Office of the Chief of Staff seeking clarification on the status of Adeyemi’s organisation after he convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge.
The ministry noted that the meeting violated established diplomatic procedures.
Following inquiries from the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Chief of Staff categorically denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi, stressing that the office neither recognised him nor the purported council.
The Presidency also clarified that appointments into federal government agencies are made through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not the Office of the Chief of Staff.
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Police investigations subsequently led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, where he allegedly operated the fraudulent organisation.
Searches conducted at his office and residence in Suleja reportedly uncovered forged documents and other exhibits. During interrogation, Adeyemi allegedly claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him procure the forged appointment letter. However, police investigations established that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
According to the statement, investigations confirmed that the agency was fictitious and that Adeyemi forged his appointment letter and other official documents, falsely represented himself as a government appointee and fraudulently sought diplomatic support for visa applications.
Police also discovered that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine opened in the names of fictitious organisations such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).
Investigators further found that he used forged documents to fraudulently open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although no public funds were paid into the account.
The police concluded that Adeyemi’s actions amounted to forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, bringing the Presidency into disrepute.
Following the investigation, the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices on November 27, 2025. The matter is scheduled for hearing on July 27, 2026.
The Presidency noted that while on police bail, Adeyemi recently renewed claims that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff, a position it said directly contradicted his earlier statement to investigators. This prompted the Chief of Staff to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, reiterating that Adeyemi is an impostor.
The statement also recalled that Adeyemi had previously claimed in 2016 to be President-General of the World Youth Organisation (WYO), which he described as a United Nations affiliate. The UN later denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to amplify Adeyemi’s claims, stressing that the matter is before the court and remains sub judice.