The Presidency has dismissed claims linking the Chief of Staff to the President with the appointment of one Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, describing him as an impostor who allegedly operated a fictitious government agency while facing criminal charges before the Federal High Court.
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 had, as far back as October 2025, alerted security agencies to the activities of individuals allegedly forging presidential appointment letters and presenting themselves as officials of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
According to the Presidency, the matter first came to light after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) reported concerns that another entity appeared to be operating as a government agency without legal backing.
The Chief of Staff subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into what he described as “fraudsters and impostors” who allegedly forged official appointment letters bearing fake signatures, seals and reference numbers.
The petition alleged that Adeyemi had been presenting himself as Director-General of the purported council, operating from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, hosting meetings with Nigerian and foreign officials, and seeking diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for members of the organisation.
The Presidency stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also expressed concerns over the activities of the alleged agency after Adeyemi reportedly met with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge or approval. In correspondence dated October 15, 2025, the ministry sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Chief of Staff, describing the actions as contrary to established diplomatic procedures.
Following inquiries from ONSA and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Chief of Staff repeatedly denied any knowledge of Adeyemi or the alleged council, maintaining that no appointment had been issued because the agency itself did not exist.
The Nigeria Police Force later launched an investigation and arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at the Abuja office where he allegedly operated the organisation. Searches conducted at both the office and his residence in Suleja reportedly led to the recovery of documents and other exhibits.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the alleged forged appointment letter. However, police investigations revealed that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The statement said police investigations concluded that the agency was fictitious and that Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment documents, falsely represented himself as a presidential appointee, and sought official diplomatic support under false pretences.
Investigators also reportedly discovered that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to other allegedly fictitious organisations, and had opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account using forged documents. The Presidency, however, noted that no government funds were transferred into the account.
Police subsequently 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 to come up in court on July 27, 2026.
The Presidency said Adeyemi, while on police bail, recently renewed claims that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff, a position it described as inconsistent with his earlier statement to investigators. It added that the Chief of Staff issued another public disclaimer on June 8, 2026, reiterating that Adeyemi was not known to his office and had never been appointed to any government position.
The statement further alleged that Adeyemi had a history of fraudulent misrepresentation, recalling a 2016 incident in which he reportedly claimed to be an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, an organisation he said was affiliated with the United Nations. The Presidency said the UN later denied the existence of such a body.
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.