…Says police charged Self-styled DG with forgery

The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed renewed claims by Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew that he was appointed to head a presidential agency, insisting he is an impostor who allegedly forged official documents to present himself as Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also described as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

In a detailed statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, traced the origin of the case, revealing that the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President first uncovered the alleged scam after complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) that another body was operating as a parallel government agency.

According to the Presidency, the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into what he described as “fraudsters and impostors” forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.

The petition alleged that fake appointment letters bearing forged signatures, reference numbers and official seals were used to claim leadership positions in a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The Presidency said Adeyemi allegedly operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where he reportedly held meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals while presenting himself as a government official.

He was also accused of requesting a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for members of the purported agency.

Describing the development as a serious threat to the integrity of the Presidency, the Chief of Staff urged security agencies to identify and prosecute those behind the alleged forgery.

The statement said the petition was accompanied by copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, visa-related correspondence and photographs obtained from the fake agency’s website.

It further disclosed that concerns had also been raised within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel, Asokoro, on October 10, 2025, without the ministry’s knowledge.

In a letter dated October 15, 2025, and signed by Ambassador Anderson Madubuike, the ministry sought clarification from both the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff on the status of the agency, warning that the meeting violated established diplomatic procedures.

Following the inquiry, the Office of the National Security Adviser wrote to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which in turn sought clarification from the Chief of Staff.

The Presidency said the Chief of Staff categorically denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi, stressing that the agency did not exist and noting that appointments into federal offices are made through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

In a subsequent letter dated November 5, 2025, the Chief of Staff again disowned both Adeyemi and the purported council, maintaining that neither the individual nor the organisation was known to his office.

The Presidency said police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Abuja office from where he allegedly operated the scheme.

Searches conducted at the office and his Suleja residence reportedly yielded documents and other exhibits considered relevant to the investigation.

According to the statement, Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the alleged forged appointment letter. Police investigations later established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.

The Presidency said investigators concluded that the council was fictitious and that the appointment letter and other official documents in Adeyemi’s possession were forged.

Police also alleged that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as a presidential appointee and improperly sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain visas.

Investigators further claimed that he operated 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies, among them the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).

The statement also alleged that fake documents were used to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although investigators found that no government funds were paid into the account.

Following the investigation, police charged Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 27, 2025, on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on July 27.

The Presidency noted that Adeyemi, while on police bail, recently renewed claims that the Chief of Staff appointed him Director-General of the council, a position it said contradicted his earlier statement to investigators.

It said the renewed claims prompted the Chief of Staff to issue another public disclaimer on June 8, 2026, reiterating that Adeyemi is an impostor.

The Presidency further alleged that Adeyemi had a history of falsely presenting himself as a public official, recalling that in 2016 he claimed to be President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he described as a United Nations affiliate, before the UN reportedly disowned the organisation.

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