THE Presidency, on Wednesday, July 1, dismissed claims by Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi that he was appointed to head a presidential agency, insisting he is an impostor who allegedly forged official documents to present himself as Director General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PFIPC).
Special Adviser to the President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, first uncovered the alleged scam after complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) that another body was operating as a parallel government agency.
Onanuga stated that the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on October 17, last year, requesting an investigation into “fraudsters and impostors” forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The petition alleged that fake appointment letters bearing forged signatures, reference numbers and official seals were used to claim leadership positions in a non-existent PFIPC.
The Presidency alleged that Adeyemi operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where he reportedly held meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals, while presenting himself as a government official.
Adeyemi was also accused of requesting a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States (US) visas for members of the purported agency, a development he described as a serious threat to the integrity of the Presidency and his Chief of Staff, urging security agencies to identify and prosecute those behind the alleged forgery.
The statement said the petition was accompanied by copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, visa-related correspondence and photographs obtained from the fake agency’s website.
It further disclosed that concerns had also been raised within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel, Asokoro, on October 10, 2025, without the ministry’s knowledge.
In a letter dated October 15, last year, and signed by Anderson Madubuike, the ministry sought clarification from both the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Gbajabiamila on the status of the agency, warning that the meeting violated established diplomatic procedures.
Following the inquiry, the ONSA wrote 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 categorically denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi, stressing that the agency did not exist, as appointments into federal offices are made through the OSGF.
In a subsequent letter, dated November 5, last year, Gbajabiamila again disowned both Adeyemi and the purported council, maintaining that neither the individual nor the organisation was known to his office.
The Presidency stated that Police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, last year, at the Abuja office, from where he allegedly operated the scheme, while searches conducted at the office and his Suleja residence yielded documents and other exhibits considered relevant to the investigation.
The statement said Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the alleged forged appointment letter. Police investigations later established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
Investigators concluded that the council was fictitious and the appointment letter and other official documents in Adeyemi’s possession were forged, which he falsely used to present himself as a presidential appointee and improperly sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain visas.
Investigators also claimed that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies, including the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).
The statement further alleged that fake documents were used to open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, although investigators found that no government funds were paid into the account.
Following the investigation, Police charged Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, last year, on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency stated that Adeyemi, while on Police bail, recently renewed claims that Gbajabiamila appointed him director general of the council, a position that contradicted his earlier statement to investigators.
Adeyemi’s renewed claims prompted Gbajabiamila to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, this year, reiterating that Adeyemi is an impostor.
In addition, the Presidency alleged that Adeyemi had a history of falsely presenting himself as a public official, recalling that in 2016, he claimed to be president general of the World Youth Organisation (WYO), which he described as a United Nations (UN) affiliate, before the UN disowned the organisation.
While calling for restraint, the Presidency advised politicians and the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s claims, insisting the matter is already before the court and should be allowed to run its legal course.
