The Presidency has reiterated that a man identified as Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew is an impostor who falsely presented himself as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President had earlier alerted security agencies to the activities of individuals allegedly forging official appointment letters and using them to impersonate government officials.
According to the statement, the matter first came to light after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council raised concerns over the activities of another purported government agency operating at variance with its mandate.
The Chief of Staff to the President, in a petition dated October 17, 2025, reportedly asked the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate what he described as the activities of “fraudsters and impostors” forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The Presidency said the forged documents allegedly carried falsified signatures, seals, and reference numbers, and were used to claim appointments into a non-existent entity known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The statement alleged that Adeyemi, who claimed to be the council’s Director-General, operated from an office located at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he allegedly hosted meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals while presenting himself as a legitimate government official.
He was also accused of requesting a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for some of his associates.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier raised concerns over the activities of the alleged agency after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments, Asokoro, Abuja, on October 10, 2025, without the ministry’s knowledge or approval.
In a letter dated October 15, 2025, signed by Ambassador Anderson Madubuike and addressed to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Office of the Chief of Staff, the ministry reportedly sought clarification on the status of the organisation, describing the action as a violation of established diplomatic procedures.
The Office of the National Security Adviser subsequently wrote to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), while the OSGF later requested clarification from the Chief of Staff.
Responding to the inquiries, the Chief of Staff reportedly denied ever appointing Adeyemi or recognising the purported council, stressing that appointments into government agencies are the exclusive responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
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In a further response dated November 5, 2025, the Chief of Staff again disowned both Adeyemi and the alleged agency, maintaining that the appointment letter being circulated was fake and that security agencies had already been directed to investigate the matter.
The Nigeria Police Force later launched an investigation and arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, in Abuja.
According to the Presidency, police operatives searched both his office and residence in Suleja, Niger State, where several documents and exhibits were recovered.
Investigators reportedly established that the agency was fictitious and that several documents recovered from the suspect were forged. The police also alleged that Adeyemi falsely represented himself as a government appointee and fraudulently sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During interrogation, Adeyemi allegedly claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the fake appointment letter. However, police investigations reportedly revealed that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025, days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The police further alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to fictitious organisations such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).
Investigators also claimed that he fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account by allegedly misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although no government funds were said to have been deposited into the account.
Police investigators concluded that the suspect’s actions amounted to forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence, adding that the alleged acts brought the Presidency into disrepute.
Following the investigation, the 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 also noted that Adeyemi, while on police bail, recently renewed claims that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff, despite earlier statements allegedly made to investigators contradicting that position.
The renewed claims prompted another disclaimer from the Office of the Chief of Staff on June 8, 2026, reaffirming that Adeyemi is not recognised by the Presidency.
The statement further recalled that Adeyemi had allegedly been involved in a similar controversy in 2016, when he reportedly presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations. The UN later denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency advised politicians and members of the public to refrain from making conclusions on the matter while the case remains before the court.
“It is important for the public to allow the judicial process to run its course and await the court’s decision on the matter,” the statement added.
