Cover picture: Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, acclaimed Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council. Credit: Bayo Onanuga
By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The Presidency has again denied claims that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointed Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as Director-General of a purported Presidential Economic Advisory Council, insisting that the agency does not exist and that Adeyemi is currently facing criminal charges over alleged forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Office of the Chief of Staff first uncovered the alleged fraudulent operation after complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) that another entity appeared to be carrying out overlapping government functions.
Onanuga disclosed that Gbajabiamila petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
According to the Presidency, the forged documents, bearing fake signatures, reference numbers and official seals, were allegedly used to confer leadership positions in non-existent government bodies, particularly the so-called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
The statement said the alleged council, with Adeyemi as its purported director-general, operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where it reportedly held meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals. It also allegedly sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for some of its members.
Gbajabiamila described the alleged scheme as a serious criminal act capable of undermining the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communications, urging security agencies to identify those behind the forgery network.
The Presidency said the petition was backed by copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, correspondence requesting diplomatic support and photographs of activities linked to the purported agency.
It further revealed that concerns about the group’s activities had also been raised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which on October 15, 2025, sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel, Abuja, without the ministry’s knowledge.
The ministry reportedly described the action as a breach of established diplomatic procedures.
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) subsequently requested clarification following enquiries from government agencies and other organisations seeking confirmation of Adeyemi’s appointment.
In response, Gbajabiamila maintained that he neither knew Adeyemi nor authorised any appointment to the purported council, stressing that appointments into government positions are issued exclusively through the OSGF.
“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 Chief of Staff stated in a November 5, 2025, letter to the OSGF.
The Presidency said police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat office where he allegedly operated the scheme. Searches conducted at the office and his Suleja residence reportedly yielded documents and other exhibits.
Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi identified one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola as the person who assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter. However, police said Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
According to the statement, investigators concluded that the agency was fictitious and that Adeyemi allegedly forged official documents, falsely presented himself as a government appointee and sought diplomatic support to secure US visas for members of his organisation.
Police also alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine in the names of fictitious organisations, and used forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although no public funds were deposited into the account.
The police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency said its latest response followed renewed claims by Adeyemi that Gbajabiamila appointed him as director-general of the alleged agency, describing the assertion as inconsistent with the statement he made during police interrogation.
It also alleged that Adeyemi had previously claimed to be ambassador and president-general of the World Youth Organisation in 2016 before the United Nations reportedly denied the existence of the organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from amplifying Adeyemi’s claims, noting that the matter is already before the court.
“It is advised that the public await the conclusion of the trial and the judgment of the court, rather than adopt narratives that are already the subject of judicial proceedings,” the statement said.
