ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Presidency has again dismissed claims by Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew that he was appointed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, insisting the agency never existed and that he is facing criminal prosecution over alleged forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, restated the government’s position in a statement posted on his X handle on Wednesday amid renewed public attention on the case.
According to the statement, the alleged fraud first came to light after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) alerted the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President that another purported government agency was carrying out functions similar to those of the commission.
Following the complaint, 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 parading himself as the Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, operating from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, holding meetings with foreign diplomats and senior Nigerian officials, and seeking diplomatic backing, including a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for members of the purported council.
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Describing the activities as criminal, the Chief of Staff said they undermined the integrity of the Presidency and compromised the credibility of official government communications.
The statement added that copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, correspondence sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and photographs of activities obtained from the agency’s website were attached to the petition submitted to security agencies.
The Presidency also disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had, on October 15, 2025, sought clarification from both the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi allegedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge.
The ministry reportedly maintained that the action violated established diplomatic procedures.
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) also sought clarification from the Chief of Staff after receiving enquiries from government and non-government organisations over the authenticity of Adeyemi’s purported appointment.
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Responding, the Chief of Staff denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi, stressing that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was non-existent. He further explained that appointments into government offices are the constitutional responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
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 several documents and other exhibits believed to be connected to the alleged operation.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the alleged forged appointment letter.
However, police investigations established that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja on October 22, 2025, five days before Adeyemi was arrested.
The Presidency said investigators concluded that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was a fictitious organisation and that Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment documents, falsely held himself out as a government appointee and fraudulently sought official diplomatic support.
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Investigators also reportedly uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies, among them the FCT Investment Promotion Agency/Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).
The statement 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 ever paid into the account.
Police subsequently arraigned Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, on an eight-count charge. The case has been fixed for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency also said that while on police bail, Adeyemi later claimed the Chief of Staff personally appointed him Director-General of the agency, describing the claim as inconsistent with the statement he earlier made to investigators.
It added that the Chief of Staff issued another disclaimer on June 8, reiterating that Adeyemi was unknown to the Presidency and had no affiliation with any government agency.
The statement further alleged that Adeyemi had, in 2016, claimed to be an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he described as an affiliate of the United Nations. According to the Presidency, the UN denied the claim.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to disregard Adeyemi’s claims, stressing that the matter is already before the court and should be allowed to take its full legal course.