The Presidency on Wednesday released a detailed account of its investigation into the activities of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, insisting that he was never appointed as Director-General of any Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council or Presidential Economic Advisory Council and describing the bodies as fictitious.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the matter first came to light after complaints reached the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President from officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, who raised concerns over another body allegedly operating as a government agency.
The statement said the Chief of Staff, on October 17, petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate individuals accused of forging official appointment letters and presenting themselves as government officials.
The petition read: “The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office. The fake documents, bearing falsified signatures, reference/folio numbers, and seals, have been used to claim leadership appointments to non-existent entities, with particular reference to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.”
It continued: “The aforementioned entity under the leadership of one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as Director-General is said to have an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase III, 2nd Floor. Also, they have been parading themselves as a legitimate government agency, hosting meetings with both foreigners and Nigerian citizens, and even going so far as to request a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United States of America to facilitate visas for some of their staff.”
The Chief of Staff added: “The above development not only constitutes a serious criminal act but also undermines the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communication.
“I therefore urge you to initiate a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those involved and also to uncover the network facilitating the forgery.”
The Presidency said the petition was submitted with copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, correspondence requesting a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and photographs obtained from the website of the alleged agency.
It disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had, on October 15, 2025, written to the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff seeking clarification after Adeyemi reportedly met with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja without notifying the ministry.
The ministry was quoted as saying: “This act contravenes extant rules and regulations guiding diplomatic practices globally.”
The statement explained that the Office of the National Security Adviser later contacted the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which also sought clarification from the Chief of Staff following enquiries from government and non-government organisations over the status of the alleged appointment.
It said the Chief of Staff responded that he neither issued an appointment letter to Adeyemi nor recognised the council, stressing that appointments into federal offices fall within the responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
In another response dated November 5, 2025, the Chief of Staff wrote: “Prince Adeniyi Matthew, director-general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office, nor do we have any dealings with the said council.
“My attention was drawn to a letter of this purported application, which is fake, and my office has instructed the police and other relevant security agencies to carry out investigations on the person and the entity he claims to represent.”
The Presidency said police investigators arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, at the office where he allegedly operated the organisation. Searches conducted at the premises and his Suleja residence reportedly led to the recovery of documents and other exhibits.
It added that during interrogation, Adeyemi claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the alleged forged appointment letter. Police investigations later revealed that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The statement said investigators concluded that the council was fictitious and that Adeyemi forged appointment documents, falsely presented himself as a government appointee and sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain United States visas.
Police also reported discovering 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious organisations. Investigators further alleged that he used forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account after misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, while confirming that no government funds were paid into the account.
The police report stated: “The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community.”
The Presidency said an eight-count charge was filed against Adeyemi and two other suspects at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, with the matter scheduled for hearing on July 27.
It said Adeyemi, while on police bail, recently renewed claims that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff, prompting another public disclaimer from the Presidency on June 8.
The statement also alleged that Adeyemi had a previous record of false representation, recalling that in 2016 he presented himself as President-General of the World Youth Organisation, claiming it was affiliated with the United Nations before the UN denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s claims, stressing that the matter is before the court and should be allowed to run its legal course.