By Ayo Kehinde
The Presidency has disclosed that Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who allegedly paraded himself as a presidential appointee and Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council, will face trial on July 27, 2026, over an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence.
The disclosure was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
He said the suspect’s recent claims that he was appointed by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President were false and contradicted the findings of security agencies as well as his earlier statement to investigators.
According to the Presidency, the Office of the Chief of Staff first uncovered the alleged fraud in October 2025 after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) complained that another organisation was operating as though it were a federal government agency while performing functions similar to those of the council.
Following the complaints, the Chief of Staff 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.
The petition alleged that forged documents bearing fake signatures, official seals, and reference numbers were being used to appoint individuals to non-existent government agencies, particularly the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The Presidency said Adeyemi presented himself as the Director-General of the fictitious organisation, allegedly operating from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he hosted meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian officials while seeking official recognition.
It further alleged that he requested a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visa applications for members of the purported agency, an action the Chief of Staff described as a serious criminal act capable of undermining the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communications.
The Presidency said copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, requests made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and photographs obtained from the organisation’s website were forwarded to security agencies as evidence.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also raised concerns after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja on October 10, 2025, without the knowledge or approval of the ministry.
In a letter dated October 15, 2025, and signed by Ambassador Anderson Madubuike, the ministry sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Chief of Staff regarding the status of the organisation, warning that the meeting violated established diplomatic procedures.
The ONSA subsequently referred the matter to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which sought clarification from the Chief of Staff following inquiries from several government and non-governmental bodies.
The Presidency said the Chief of Staff categorically denied appointing Adeyemi or recognising the purported council, stressing that the office neither knew the suspect nor had any dealings with the organisation.
It also noted that appointments into federal government agencies are the constitutional responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and not the Office of the Chief of Staff.
Police investigations later led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Abuja office where he allegedly operated the scheme.
Searches conducted at both his office and residence in Suleja reportedly yielded documents and exhibits believed to be linked to the alleged fraud.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi informed investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the forged appointment letter.
However, police investigations established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest, with officers confirming his death at the morgue.
Investigators also concluded that the agency Adeyemi claimed to head never existed and that he allegedly forged appointment letters and other official documents while falsely presenting himself as a presidential appointee.
The police further alleged that he used the forged documents to seek diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for visa applications.
The Presidency also disclosed that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to Adeyemi, including nine opened in the names of fictitious organisations such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).
It further alleged that forged documents were used to fraudulently open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through misrepresentation to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although investigators confirmed that no government funds were transferred into the account.
According to the police investigation report, the suspect’s actions amounted to criminal forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence, bringing the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency into disrepute before both Nigerians and the international community.
Based on the outcome of the investigation, the Nigeria Police Force filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices.
The case has been scheduled for trial 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, describing the assertion as inconsistent with the statement he made during police interrogation.
It said the latest claim prompted another public disclaimer from the Chief of Staff on June 8, reaffirming that Adeyemi was an impostor with no connection to the Presidency.
Onanuga further alleged that Adeyemi had previously misrepresented himself in 2016 as President-General and ambassador of the so-called World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations following an election in New Delhi, India.
According to the Presidency, the United Nations subsequently denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from making prejudicial comments while the matter remains before the court, stressing that the case is sub judice and should be allowed to proceed through the judicial process.
