The Presidency has detailed how complaints from government institutions led to investigations into a man accused of operating a fake presidential agency, saying security agencies acted months before the matter reached the courts.
The State House said the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President alerted the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 17, 2025, after officials reported that a non-existent government body was presenting itself as a federal agency. The investigation later led to the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew in Abuja and criminal charges filed at the Federal High Court.
The explanation came on Wednesday in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The statement responded to public interest over Adeyemi’s recent claim that he was appointed as director-general of what he called the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also known as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The Presidency said the case had already been investigated by the police and is now before the court, urging the public to allow the legal process to continue.
Government offices sought clarification before arrest
The State House said questions about the agency first surfaced after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council reported that another organisation appeared to be carrying out similar duties.
Following the complaint, the Chief of Staff petitioned the police and the DSS, asking them to investigate people suspected of forging official appointment letters from his office. The petition said forged documents bearing fake signatures, reference numbers and official seals were being used to claim appointments into agencies that did not exist.
The Presidency revealed that copies of the forged appointment letter, a request for diplomatic support and photographs obtained from the group’s website were sent to security agencies as part of the complaint.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also sought clarification after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro on October 10, 2025, without involving the ministry. The ministry later wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff to verify the status of the organisation.
That request moved through the Office of the National Security Adviser and later reached the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which also requested clarification from the Chief of Staff.
The Presidency said the Chief of Staff replied that he never issued an appointment letter to Adeyemi and explained that appointments into government offices are handled by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not his office.
Police investigation led to charges before latest claims
Onanuga said that police arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at an office in the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja where he allegedly operated the fake agency.
Searches carried out at the office and his residence in Suleja led to the recovery of documents and other exhibits. During questioning, Adeyemi reportedly told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him obtain the forged appointment letter. Police later established that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The Presidency said investigators concluded that the agency did not exist, the appointment letter had been forged and Adeyemi falsely presented himself as a government official. Police also alleged that he sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help himself and members of his organisation obtain United States visas.
Investigators also found that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to organisations the police described as fictitious. The State House said police discovered that a Central Bank account had been opened through false representations to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, but no government funds were paid into it.
Based on the investigation, police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency revealed that Adeyemi later claimed, while on police bail, that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff. It said the claim contradicted his earlier statement to investigators and prompted another public disclaimer from the Chief of Staff on June 8.
Politicians and members of the public have been urged to allow the court to determine the case. The Presidency noted that the issues are now before the judiciary and should be resolved through the legal process.
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