The Presidency has dismissed claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew that he was appointed to head a presidential agency, describing him as an impostor facing criminal charges over an alleged fake government agency and forged appointment documents.
The Presidency has described Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as an impostor who allegedly operated a fictitious presidential agency using forged government documents, insisting that he was never appointed to any office under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
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 first uncovered the alleged scam after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns about another organisation claiming to perform similar government functions.
According to the statement, 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 Presidency said the forged documents falsely appointed Adeyemi as Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an agency it maintained does not exist.
It further alleged that Adeyemi and his associates operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, held meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian officials, and even sought a diplomatic note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visa applications for staff members.
The statement stressed that such actions undermined the integrity of the Presidency and official government communications.
According to the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had independently raised concerns over the agency after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge.
The ministry subsequently sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff, describing the meeting as a violation of established diplomatic procedures.
The Presidency said the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) also requested clarification after receiving multiple enquiries regarding Adeyemi’s purported appointment.
In response, the Chief of Staff categorically denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi, stressing that appointments to federal offices are processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not the Chief of Staff.
The statement added that the Chief of Staff again wrote to the OSGF on November 5, 2025, reaffirming that both Adeyemi and the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council were unknown to the Presidency.
Following investigations, the Nigeria Police arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, at the office from which he allegedly operated.
Searches conducted at his office and residence in Suleja reportedly led to the recovery of documents and exhibits believed to be linked to the alleged fraud.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him obtain the forged appointment letter.
However, police investigations later established that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja on October 22, 2025, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The Presidency said investigators concluded that the agency headed by Adeyemi was fictitious and that he allegedly forged appointment letters and other official documents while falsely presenting himself as a government appointee.
The police also alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to request diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account after misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
According to investigators, no government funds were transferred into the account.
The statement further disclosed that Adeyemi allegedly operated 34 bank accounts, including nine opened in the names of fictitious government agencies.
Based on the outcome of the investigation, the police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency said Adeyemi’s recent public claim that the Chief of Staff appointed him contradicted the statement he voluntarily made to investigators during the police probe.
It added that this prompted the Chief of Staff to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, reiterating that Adeyemi was not a government appointee.
The statement also recalled that Adeyemi had made similar claims in 2016, when he allegedly presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the purported World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations.
According to the Presidency, the United Nations later denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from drawing conclusions while the matter remains before the court, noting that the case is sub judice and should be allowed to proceed through the judicial process.
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