Alleged fake Presidential Council DG to face trial – Presidency

The Presidency has restated that Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who allegedly posed as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, is an impostor facing criminal prosecution over alleged forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the clarification in a statement posted on his X platform on Wednesday, following renewed public interest in the case.

According to the statement, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President first uncovered the existence of the fictitious agency after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) complained that another purported government body was carrying out similar functions.

The Presidency said the Chief of Staff, on October 17, 2025, petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.

The petition alleged that Adeyemi had been presenting himself as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, operating from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, hosting meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian officials, and seeking diplomatic support, including a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for members of the purported agency.

The Chief of Staff described the activities as criminal, saying they undermined the integrity of the Presidency and official government communications.

The statement said the petition was accompanied by copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, requests made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and photographs of activities obtained from the agency’s website.

The Presidency further disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had, on October 15, 2025, sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge.

According to the ministry, the action contravened established diplomatic procedures.

Subsequently, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) also requested clarification from the Chief of Staff, following enquiries from government and non-governmental organisations regarding the status of the purported appointment.

The Chief of Staff, however, denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi, stressing that the agency did not exist and that appointments to government positions fall within the mandate of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Following investigations, the police arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at the office from which he allegedly operated the scheme.

According to the Presidency, searches conducted at his office and residence in Suleja led to the recovery of documents and exhibits allegedly linked to the operation.

The statement said Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the alleged forged appointment letter.

However, police investigations revealed that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja on October 22, 2025, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.

The Presidency said investigators established that the agency was fictitious and that Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment documents, falsely presented himself as a government appointee and fraudulently sought official diplomatic support.

Police investigations also reportedly uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency/Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).

According to the statement, investigators further alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although no government funds were transferred 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 Adeyemi later claimed, while on police bail, that the Chief of Staff had appointed him as Director-General of the agency, describing the assertion as inconsistent with his earlier statement to investigators.

It added that the Chief of Staff issued another disclaimer on June 8, reaffirming that Adeyemi was unknown to the Presidency and had no connection with any government agency.

The statement further alleged that Adeyemi had previously claimed in 2016 to be an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he described as a United Nations affiliate, a claim the UN reportedly denied.

The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s claims, noting that the matter is before the court and should be allowed to run its course.